The fourth edition of the Festival of Research in Science, Arts, and Creation (RESSAC) of the University of Brest (UBO) will be held from March 10 to 14 2026. The festival reflects UBO's desire to bring together the scientific and artistic communities around joint creations (concerts, exhibitions, dance, theater, radio productions, writing workshops, meetings, etc.), thereby promoting university research to the general public in an original and stimulating way, while offering a poetic medium for reflection and exchange on scientific themes.

As part of the festival, UBO wishes to organize a monumental exhibition entitled “(Very) Big Data!”. This exhibition will consist of very large images illustrating scientific data. The images will be selected through a competition open to all members of UBO, the University of South Brittany (UBS), laboratories affiliated with these universities (UBO/UBS) and partner universities of the SEA-EU alliance.

Student, teaching, and research communities are invited to send us their most unique visualizations of scientific data, whether in the form of graphs, infographics, models, or any other form of visual representation. However, the following will not be accepted:

• Images obtained using conventional cameras or scientific instruments (such as microscopes, telescopes, drones, satellites, etc.);
• Submissions that fall under data-art (see the FAQ at bottom of the page).

The competition jury will select five proposals, which will be enlarged to create monumental prints measuring up to 15m² per image. These works will be exhibited for one month in Les Capucins, an iconic venue in Brest that is notable for being the largest covered public square in Europe.

The aim of this competition is to enhance the visibility of the SEA-EU alliance and the SAPS initiative (Science With and For Society label awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research to UBS, UBO, and ENIB) among the academic community and the general public.

Terms and conditions 

• Submissions must be visual representations of scientific data.
• Each participant may submit up to 5 images.
• Submissions will be judged on their ability to amaze, intrigue, captivate, or spark the interest of a non-expert audience.  Their potential for outreach to the general public will also be taken into account. This includes the accessibility of the explanatory text, the clarity of the link between the text and the image, and more generally the ability of the proposal to be understood by a wide audience, most of whom are not scientists.
• The printing and hanging of the monumental posters will be fully covered. UBO will keep the posters after the festival.
• Winners are strongly encouraged to travel to Brest to present their work and interact with the festival audience. However, the festival will not be able to cover travel and accommodation costs (only meals will be provided).
• For winners who are members of the SEA-EU alliance, travel expenses may be covered by SEA-EU budget (contact your local SEA-EU office for more information).
• If travel is not possible, winners must provide a video clip presenting their image and the scientific issues involved.
• Participants must have all the necessary rights to distribute the images submitted. UBO undertakes to mention the name of the author and their affiliation whenever an image is used.
• The selected images will be published on UBO’s website and on social media. Other forms of dissemination may be considered (to be determined with the selected candidates).
   

Prepare your file(s)

• If your proposal is selected, you will be asked to provide a high-resolution HD image or vector format file. However, for the selection phase, via the application form below, please send us a compressed and/or lower resolution version (<5MB).
• All aspect ratios are accepted.
• The file name must follow this format: institution_first name-last name_title.jpg
  (example: UBO_victor-segalen_diagram-star.jpg).
• Each image must be accompanied by:
  - a title.
  - a caption intended for the general public (1000 characters max.) in French or English (the RESSAC team reserves the right to edit and/or translate the title and caption to adapt it to the target audience. Modified captions will of course be submitted for approval by the author of the photo).
  - the author's name

Calendar

• Project proposals must be submitted by November 30, 2025, by completing the application form.
• The selection of images will be made by the RESSAC committee, under the direction of Etienne Hendrickx (Vice President of Culture, Science & Society at UBO) and Maï Le Dû (Artistic Director of the RESSAC festival) in December.

• The results are expected to be announced during the week of December 15.
   

  If you have any questions or would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at the following address: ressac@univ-brest.fr.
   

FAQ – (Very) Big Data Competition!

1. Who can participate?

The competition is open to all members of the student, teaching, and research communities of the University of Western Brittany (UBO), the University of Southern Brittany (UBS), laboratories affiliated with these universities (UBO/UBS) and partner universities of the SEA-EU alliance.
 

2. What type of images are expected?

This is a scientific data visualization contest, not a data art contest. Images must be visual representations of scientific data (graphs, infographics, models, etc.). Excluded: Artistic works or images obtained using instruments such as microscopes, telescopes, drones, satellites, etc. are not accepted.

Here are two examples of scientific data visualizations:

Modelling of swirling dynamics. © Pascal Rivière (LEMAR / UBO)

 

 

 

Graphical representation of the behavior of an error correction code, enabling the correction of potential errors during digital transmission. © Titouan Gendron, Emmanuel Boutillon (Lab-STICC / UBS)

3. What is the difference between data visualization and data art?

Data visualization refers to a graphical or visual representation of scientific data, designed to explain, inform, or reveal trends. The goal is clarity and understanding of the data.
Data art refers to an artistic work inspired by data, but whose purpose is primarily aesthetic or conceptual. This competition does not concern data art.
 

4. How many images can I submit?

Each participant may submit up to 5 images.

5. What are the selection criteria?

Images will be evaluated on:

• Their ability to amaze, intrigue, captivate, or spark the interest of a non-expert audience.
• Their accessibility: clarity of the explanatory text and the link between the image and the text, understanding of scientific issues by a wide audience.

6. What formats are accepted?

For large-scale printing, we will need a very high-resolution file or a vector format file. However, for the selection phrase, we ask for a compressed version of the image (<5MB) so as not to overload our server.

7. Do I need to provide a caption?

Yes, each image must be accompanied by:

• A title.
• A caption for the general public (1,000 characters max.), in French or English, explaining the image in an accessible way.
• The name of the author.
   

8. Do winners have to travel to Brest?

Winners are strongly encouraged to come and present their work at the festival (March 10–14, 2026).

• Meals will be provided by the festival.
• Transportation and accommodation costs are not covered (see next question for members of the SEA-EU alliance).
• If this is not possible, a video presentation is required.

9. How can I benefit from SEA-EU mobility grants?

Members of the SEA-EU alliance can apply for reimbursement of their travel expenses (transport and accommodation) by contacting their local SEA-EU office.

10. When and how should I submit my application?

• Deadline: November 30, 2025.
• Procedure: Complete the online application form.
• Results: Week of December 15, 2025.

11. Where can I ask questions?

If you have any questions, please contact the RESSAC team at: ressac@univ-brest.fr.