New exhibition shows the beauty in Imperial research
15 June 2012
Laser-engraved bones, close up images of disease killing cells, and genetic material portrayed by fruit and vegetables are exhibits that might look at home in a Damien Hirst exhibition but are in fact pieces inspired by research undertaken here at Imperial, as part of a new project.
The art works form the Beautiful Science collection, a collaboration between Imperial scientists and artists, which takes scientific work and data as the starting point for a piece of art work. The Imperial scientists have been talking through their research with an assigned artist who uses the work as a muse to inform their own piece of art.
The public will have an opportunity to visit the art for themselves, in an exhibition that encourages visitors to consider whether science can be considered in the same terms and context as art.
One of the researchers taking part is postdoctoral researcher Alice Brown from the Department of Life Sciences. She said: “My research has tended towards preparing high quality images that represent a scientific fact so I have always been interested in the aesthetics of the images produced.”
Some of the researchers’ work does not lend itself so straightforwardly to visual representation. Fernando Abaitua, from the Department of Medicine, for instance, focusses on the mathematical modelling of malarial infection. To find out more about how Fernando’s artist tackled the challenge of depicting this listen to the Beautiful Science piece in the 30 May podcast.
The exhibition will be launched with a live discussion on the project, chaired by Stephen Webster, Director of Science Communication Group, which will take place at 6:30 pm on June 18.
The following week the exhibition will open in the Brick Lane Gallery in Shoreditch. Visitors will be able to visit it from 1 to 6 pm, between 26 June to 2 July 2012.
It has been supported by Imperial and a Wellcome Trust People Award.
More information on the exhibition, its pieces and next week’s live discussion.
— John-Paul Jones, Communications and Development
Tags: Arts Imperial
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