2022 BIST Conference

Precision Medicine: Putting discoveries to work

Satellite Session: Art & Science, a 21st century re-renaissance?

November 8, 2022 | Online | 15.00h – 16.30h (CET)

Recent years have seen several art and science programmes emerge at research institutes across the world. From artist-in-residence programmes to exhibitions, workshops, and performances, these actions are indicative of a broader movement to bring science and art into close conversation. Just as artists like Leonardo da Vinci brought scientific pursuit and art together during the renaissance, might we be amid a 21st century re-renaissance?

In this session we will look at various art and science programmes and discuss the ways in which intertwining the arts and sciences can help us see and understand both in rich new ways.

Speakers:

Antoni Muntadas

Postconceptual Multimedia Artist

Antoni Muntadas is a Catalan postconceptual multimedia artist based in the USA since 1971. His work is recognised worldwide and has been presented at prestigious museums and galleries including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Berkeley Art Museum in California, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, and the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona. His projects have received numerous awards including the National Prize for Plastic Arts and the Velázquez Prize for Plastic Arts. Muntadas addresses social, political, and communication issues in his artwork, which uses a variety of media including photography, video, installations, and urban interventions. Recently, Muntadas presented an exhibition at Ars Electronica 2022 entitled “Tasmanian Tiger; Case Study of the Museum of Extinction”, which asked people to consider what it means for a living organism to be extinct. This project, produced by .NewArt { foundation;}, counted with the collaboration of IBEC, BIST and HacTe. (Photo credit: Andrea Nacach)

María A. Blasco

Director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO). Head of the Telomeres and Telomerase Research Group.

Maria A. Blasco is a molecular biologist devoted to the study of telomeres and telomerase and their role in cancer and aging. Her work has been published in high impact journals such as Cell, Nature, and Science, and she has received national and international awards including an EMBO Gold Medal, the European Association of Cancer Research “Young Investigator Award” Prize, and the Premio Jaume I. Blasco was named Chair of SOMMa (‘Severo Ochoa’ Centres and ‘María de Maeztu’ Units of Excellence Alliance) and currently works as Director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO). The centre organises several important art and science initiatives including symposia, artistic residencies, and collaborations between scientists and artists. Blasco is also currently the chair of SOMMa (‘Severo Ochoa’ Centres and ‘María de Maeztu’ Units of Excellence Alliance).

Lorenzo Orsini

PhD Student at ICFO & Collaborator in the “Survival vs Resilience” workshop by “Fundación Épica – La Fura dels Baus”

Lorenzo Orsini is a PhD student in nano-photonic at ICFO where he studies the photonic properties of 2D materials. Along with his research projects, he is engaged in many parallel activities, including outreach. He recently collaborated with “Fundación Épica – La Fura dels Baus” in a very unique workshop: “Survival vs resilience”. Specifically, he shared his expertise on the potential of graphene and 2D materials to impact society and technologies of the future. In this workshop, researchers and people with multidisciplinary experiences such as visual art, music and technology came together to create a very interesting and innovative event.

Moderator:

Laura Hernández Eguía

Head of ICIQ Science Outreach and Education Unit

Laura Hernández is a chemist and science communicator and educator at ICIQ. She moved from Vigo (Galicia) in 2006 to do a PhD in supramolecular chemistry at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ). After the PhD, she kept working in chemistry research, both in the academia and the industry. She was a freelance author and editor of scientific educative contents for different editorial companies during four years. Since 2021, she is in charge of the scientific outreach and education at ICIQ, a position that allows her to combine her two passions: chemistry and science outreach.

BIST centres


Institutional Members of the Board of Trustees