Over the course of three months, the artists Daniela Brill Estrada (COL) and Shailesh BR (IND) had the opportunity to exchange ideas with various researchers at ISTA and gain comprehensive insights into laboratories and research projects. They have translated excerpts from this exchange into installations and research diary-like collages and works.
Science is a fundamentally creative process – just as art is often analytical, experimental and curious. The ISTA Artist Residency brings artists and scientists together to spark new ideas. Over the course of several months, artists visit laboratories, collaborate with researchers and develop creative works inspired by scientific discoveries. They share their work with the public through lectures, studio visits and exhibitions.
Even if art and science use different approaches and methods, they often deal with similar questions:
Shailesh BR’s work is an exciting mix of artistic creation and scientific research. He collaborated with plant researchers at ISTA and observed how they set up experiments and how they photograph plants. This collaboration fed directly into the design of his installation, which mimics a scientific experiment in which pea seeds are exposed to different colors of light. The result is an aesthetic, reflective work that encourages viewers to think about how we observe nature and how what we see may even change as a result. The installation, combined with film clips shown, creates a conversation between old and new ways of observing plant life. A series of drawings illustrate his time at ISTA.
Daniela Brill Estrada’s work process was driven by conversations with researchers from different scientific fields, including how matter organizes itself, how stars move and how roots grow. This collaboration provided her with the basis for her work and inspired her to explore the idea of “information pathways” in matter. The result is an exciting installation with graphite spheres that move using Brownian motion. These movements create visible traces that show the intricate and seemingly living behavior of inanimate matter. The work invites the viewer to reflect on the boundaries between living and non-living things and how information shapes the world around us.
