Mirrors. Between Illusion and Reality

A temporary exhibition at the Copernicus Science Centre, on view until 31 October 2026. Admission is included in the ticket for the Exhibitions. The museum does not give an opening date on the exhibition’s page.

The Copernicus Science Centre on the exhibition:

Do you really see what you see? We invite you on a journey through a world in which reality ceases to be obvious.

Physics and mathematics help us understand phenomena that go against our cognitive habits. Illusions, though untrue, tell the truth about how our mind works. Entering arrangements of symmetry, reflections and infinite tunnels, you will immerse yourself in a world where the boundary between the real and the illusory becomes fluid. You will find out how mirror images arise and how your eye sees them. You will also discover that mirrors not only make it possible to study and learn about the world, but also let us notice the beauty hidden in it.

Asymmetrical things often irritate us. Quite unconsciously we look for symmetry in our surroundings and in ourselves. Symmetrical faces seem more attractive, we write mostly with symmetrical letters, symmetrical snowflakes fall on us. We find symmetry in the construction of geometric figures, in equations and in the laws of physics. At the LUSTRA exhibition you will notice it in every exhibit, and experimenting for yourself will help you understand the principles of mathematics.

You will have a chance to look at yourself as closely as never before. You will see the back of your own head, match a mirror to your height, and even look into your own ear. You will check whether a cold mirror is really cold and how hot air affects your visual perception. You will lead light through a maze, see a cube that exists only in a mirror, and even steal someone’s face. More than a dozen different kaleidoscopes await you, along with a few blood-chilling exhibits: you will look into a mirror that will try to “catch” you, you will find yourself in an infinitely long corridor (as in Kubrick’s “The Shining”), and you will even see Pepper’s ghost.

What to expect

The museum states that the exhibition was produced by the Swiss Technorama, one of the world’s leading science centres, and that at the Copernicus Science Centre it has been enriched with works by the Polish designer and architect Oskar Zięta. A translation into Polish Sign Language accompanies the show. Among the exhibit names the museum lists are “Zwierciadlany labirynt”, “Odlotowe lustro”, “Widok z tyłu” and “Kostka do nieskończoności”.

Tickets and opening hours are on the museum’s website.

Museum profile: Copernicus Science Centre.