In a new exhibition at Tycho Brahe Planetarium in Copenhagen, Denmark we invite a diverse group of visitors to ask the question – what am I? To answer this question, they must go on a journey through the Universe in search of the elements that make up life.

In designing a new exhibition about astrophysics, we have turned the topic upside down and asked ourselves the question: “Why should people care?” The answer: “Astrophysical phenomena like big bang, stars and supernovae are a part of our cosmic history” has made the foundation of the exhibition. In all the choices regarding the dissemination we have had inclusion in mind. With PhD-student, Line Nicolaisen from Copenhagen University, collaborating on the project and looking at gender inclusion we have taken a more untraditional angle to the subjects you normally meet in exhibitions about astronomy and astrophysics.

We use the visitor themselves, the human body as a starting point and talk about how the hydrogen in the water (H2O) in your cells were made in the big bang and how the iron in your blood comes from the centre of large stars. In spectacular interactions and stunning visuals, we always link back to ‘you’.

During the process of making the exhibition we have had several focus groups and test audiences to make sure that our idea of inclusion is also carried out in real life. It has been curated by Head of Science and Outreach, Tina Ibsen, from the Tycho Brahe Planetarium, and designed in collaboration with 59-production from London. The exhibition Made in Space opened February 1st, 2018 and will be a part of the permanent exhibition at the Tycho Brahe Planetarium.