The worlds of art and science will collide at a Brisbane exhibition, with dancers, poets, musicians and animators set to interpret environmental research for an exhibition.
As part of a six-month residency, artists will spend time with scientists at the Department of Environment and Science, to create artistic works that explore research.
The Artist in Residence Science Program will culminate with an Art Meets Science exhibition, to be held at the Ecosciences Precinct in Dutton Park during August and September, as part of National Science Week.
Science and Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch said four artists and an arts collective were selected out of a pool of 15 applicants.
“There is a misconception that the worlds of science and the arts are mutually exclusive, and this is simply not the case,” Ms Enoch, whose cabinet responsibilities cover both areas, said.
“Both are driven by curiosity, creative thinking, and a desire to understand our world.”
Research from the department’s scientists includes how to keep soils productive, how to best use natural resources and how to preserve natural heritage.
“This is the third time we’ve run the program, and this year we have artists who will use animation, dance, poetry, digital art, sculpture, sound, installation and photography to illustrate the work of our coastal monitoring, landscape and soil sciences, analytical chemistry and social science units,” Ms Enoch said.
West End environmental artist and educator Nadine Schmoll will work with the department’s Chemistry Centre, whose scientists provide chemical and physical analyses of water, soil, sediment and plant samples to support research that helps inform decisions for agricultural, environmental and resource management in Queensland.
The centre analyses samples collected through the water quality monitoring of catchments draining into the Great Barrier Reef.
Ms Schmoll said she planned to collaborate with schools and Brisbane-based social enterprise Reverse Garbage Queensland, which collects industrial discards from more than 300 businesses, diverting them from landfill and making them available to the community at a low cost.
Ms Schmoll said she was interested in exploring ideas such as the degradation of land and water resources, as well as waste disposal.
“My intention is to create an immersive work that spans sculpture, installation, sound and projection mapping,” she said.
She said she aimed to find out more about the work of scientists and educate children about how science contributed to an understanding and care of the natural world.
Ms Schmoll will work with fellow environmental artist Karen Benjamin.
Other artists include animator Tessie Liddell, digital interactive artist Dr Jen Seevinck and digital installation artist Alinta Krauth.
The Bloom Collective, led by photo-media artist Dr Renata Buziak, will involve experimental art-music duo Vanessa Tomlinson and Erik Griswold, dance-artist Jan Baker-Finch and poet and writer Vicki Kelleher.
Dr Buziak said she believed there were many crossovers between art and science, and she looked forward to working with the scientists and exchanging skills and ideas.
Source: http://bit.ly/2nnTmX0
