Experiments on Light: On the action of the rays of the spectrum on vegetable juices (revisited) was exhibited at the Research Biennale 2023. Made up of panel discussions, workshops, presentations, performances, an exhibition and an online platform, the Biennale offered a chance for staff, students, RCA partners and guests to engage with the work of MPhil and PhD students from across the College.

2023 marks 150 years since the death of the Mary Somerville. Her contribution to the invention of photography is significant, yet barely recognised. This work addresses this lacuna and asks what happens to the history and practice of photography when we place marginal histories centre stage? Somerville is widely celebrated for her published works on astronomy and the physical sciences but role as a proto-photographer is scarcely known. Experiments with Light (revisited) takes the photographic experiments conducted by Somerville, and using analogue photographic practice a marginalised history can be recovered and repaired to propose a rethinking of our photographic futures.