Description
Art and science share a common goal: to challenge our understanding of reality. Both are human pursuits aimed at making sense of the complex world we inhabit and our role within it. As a creative crossroads, the contemporary field of ArtScience — whether through collaboration or individual practice — has been gaining momentum in recent years. However, uniting these disciplines remains a bold and ambitious challenge.
Rooted in their own distinct traditions and specialisms, collaborations between art and science often face barriers. Art in these partnerships is frequently seen as a tool for communicating complex scientific ideas, rather than as a fundamental contributor to scientific discovery. This is surprising given the unique psychological relationship humans have with art: experiencing art can foster understanding, meaning-making, and the generation of new ideas, all of which are essential for tackling complex problems and driving creativity in research.
In this talk, I will explore why collaboration between art and science is so valuable and what it takes to achieve successful co-creation. I will highlight two distinct models of ArtScience collaboration: one emerging from within a university setting and another developed as a globally self-organized collective.
First, I will share insights and examples from ARTlab, our experimental, research-driven ArtScience space at the University of Nottingham, which has hosted nine artists-in-residence and led to the major Cosmic Titans exhibition, along with significant research outputs. Then, I will spotlight the work of SEADS (Space, Ecologies, Art, and Design), a global collective pioneering ArtScience practice beyond institutional boundaries.
