The Danish nature reserve Hedeland west of Copenhagen is perhaps one of the last places you’d expect to find a homage to fusion research. But take a short walk up the Borderland ridge and you will find yourself at the Temple of the Tokamak, an open circular structure woven out of wooden beams and steel pipes.
Temple of the Tokamak was created by a team lead by artist Annie-Locke Scherer in 2019, as part of The Borderland, a regional Burning Man event. The installation is designed as a space of contemplation and was inspired by the ability of fusion to build bridges. “As a fun fact, the installation is the highest-rated ‘shrine’ in Denmark”, says Scherer in an email.
According to Scherer’s website, “The main premise of this design was a Tokamak reactor, a torus-shaped device that generates a powerful magnetic field to create fusion. This is a symbol of the unifying forces of humanity that bring us together.”
Danish fusion researcher Søren Bang Korsholm (DTU) discovered the art installation last summer during an outing of his research group: “I’ve been a fusion scientist my whole career, and it was wild to discover a temple to fusion just 10 kilometres from my house! I think it’s very inspiring to see an artist inspired by the spirit of collaboration we have in fusion.”
Instagram: Temple of the Tokamak
