Art – a gateway into science

Representatives from the Research Council of Norway participated in the large, international Euroscience Open Forum conference in Barcelona 20 July, 2008. Odd Aksel Bergstad, the leader of the MAR-ECO Project was part of the group’s presentation.

“Both artists and researchers are driven by curiosity about the world around them,” says Bergstad. “They observe and then communicate their observations. Both can learn from each other.”

The MAR-ECO project demonstrates a number of dynamic relationships between art and science including jazz music, film, photography, paintings and sculpture.

The presentation addressed questions such as: How can Art help to communicate Science? Can it help Science reach new target groups? Are the two areas mutually inspiring? Is Art the language of the brain? Can Science be Art?

There were other international participants in the Art-Science presentation including Mikkel Bohm from the Danish Natural Science Communication, Christian Kleinert from “Wissenschaft in Dialog” in Germany, and Franz Ossing from the Helmholtz Centre in the Netherlands. Thus the question of the Art-Science was presented and illustrated from many different points of view, using different art-forms and with examples from the National Science Festivals in different countries. The international network, European Science Events Association (EUSCEA) has been a motor for different countries sharing science communication experiences. Norway’s ‘Forskningsdagene’ team has participated in many different international arrangements.

Related links:
Research Council of Norway National Science Days programme, ‘Forskningsdagene’
article about Barcelona (in Norwegian)
European Science Events Association (EUSCEA)
Euroscience Open Forum conference

from MAR-ECO about Art-Science
Art and Science
Science, art and technology
Ornulf Opdahl
Science-Art-Sculpture
MAR-ECO Music: "Underwater"
Graffiti in Brazil
The Luminous Deep
Deeper than Light exhibition