Axel Gagge, PhD student at Fysikum combining art and physics

Can you tell us about how you got into physics?

"I have always been very interested in physics and maths because they are both precise and philosophical. I studied a bachelor and master at Stockholm University, I think it was a good balance between engineering and philosophy during the programme! My bachelor thesis was about supernovas, but then I got into programming the physics of condensed matter, which really inspired me! I find it interesting how even advanced quantum theory can be built on rules of thumb and insights coming from experience. Physicists care more about how the maths works to describe reality, leaving mathematicians to show that their experiments actually make sense even from a formal mathematical perspective. For me, computers are also something that is really necessary to advance theoretical physics, and it was a fun challenge to work with complex algorithms."

How was it to study artistic education in parallel with physics?

"I was as interested in drawing and aesthetics as I was in physics, and I have many friends who are involved in art. I use drawing a lot to understand concepts in physics and maths. Sometimes the world of physics can feel very crowded and I sometimes felt that there was no room for different kinds of people. There is still quite an imbalance in the people and personalities that are allowed in physics, although it is getting better! That's why it was really fun when I got into the Royal Institute of Art. Konsthögskolan, which is a small, exclusive and very good art programme. It was quite natural for me to use tools like maths and programming in my methods, but also to incorporate physics' questions about the world."

What are your future plans?

"I want to continue being part of the physics community but in my own way. I already collaborate with scientists to help them use the experience of art to both question images and create new images, which can help us make science sensually accessible. I believe that the sensory experience plays a certain role in research! Moreover, it is part of the mission of universities to communicate research to the public. I also think that physics can teach art a lot of things and vice versa, there is an unfortunate gap between the humanities and science that I think we should counteract."

What advice do you have for students who want to study physics?

"Follow your own passion! Don't try to be someone else than you are. Don't try to be the best either, because it's not much fun in the long run. Physics is bursting with interesting topics you can specialise in. And if you like talking, writing, painting, acting, dancing, maybe you can combine that with your interest in physics?"

More information

Bachelor's Programme in Physics at Fysikum (180p)

Master's Programme in Physics at Fysikum (120p)

Our other programmes and courses in physics

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