Scientific research through an artist’s lens – first meeting
Connecting artists and scientists at the Royal Institute of Art and SciLifeLab
The collaboration is initiated; on February 6th researchers from SciLifeLab and artists from the Royal Institute of Art (KKH) had a first encounter on SciLifeLab campus Solna. Due to the high interest from the SciLifeLab community, 33 researchers were chosen to be part of the project. During the day the scientists presented their research and the artists presented their art work to enable pairing. Discussions were vivid and during the following weeks the artists will visit the researchers in their working environment to start the creative process. The results will be presented in an exhibition at SciLifeLab campus Solna on April 25th.
About the program
The “Scientific research through an artist’s lens” initiative is Max Frankel’s idea for the community engagement section of his research award. Max is accepted to the PhD physics program at University of Colorado, Boulder, and will begin his studies there when returning to the US. The program is meant to be an inspirational exchange between artists at the Royal Institute of Art and scientists at SciLifeLab, the national laboratory for molecular biosciences. It will connect scientists and artists, with the aim of creating an opportunity for creative collaboration.
Researchers will be responsible for participating in two events. The first event is meant to introduce the scientists and artists, with quick pitch-presentations by everyone on their work and interests. The second event is a tour of the researchers’ workspaces, guided by each researcher and given to a small group of artists.
This program will be a unique opportunity for outreach at the SciLifeLab. It creates a dialog with artists, lets scientists see how their work and ideas can be visualized, and may lead to increased visibility of their research. For the artists, this program will allow collaboration with leading scientists, giving the chance to gain inspiring insight of the forefront of research in the life sciences. This program is intended as a pilot, with the goal of being continued in the future, beyond this semester, creating compelling and bonding connections between the artistic and scientific communities in Stockholm.