Lighten Up! On Biology and Time

The MIT Museum announces Lighten Up! On Biology and Time, an exhibition exploring the intimate connection between living organisms and the natural cycle of night and day. It reminds us not only of the passage of the sun across the sky, but the necessity of regular light exposure for a healthy life. On view from October 28, 2025 to August 16, 2026, Lighten Up! features fifteen artists with eighteen immersive artworks, installations, and experiential environments either specifically conceived or newly adapted for the exhibition. Lighten Up! is the second exhibition unveiled during MIT Museum's inaugural thematic season of TIME.

Biology and time intersect in circadian rhythms, the internal clock within living beings that responds to time-based patterns of light and dark. Circadian rhythms in turn influence sleep, alertness, immunity, and mood. Light serves as the brain's primary signal in sensing time of day, with the transitions at dawn and dusk being natural cues to synchronize biological rhythms. Lighten Up! reveals the beauty of these rhythms and the vital role that exposure to daylight plays in our overall well-being.

Lighten Up! invites visitors to discover the secrets of biological clocks, explore alternative representations of time, and to probe the deep connection we have to the endless cycle of night and day.