Researchers and artists reflect on the partnerships that have created career opportunities and forged a deeper public understanding of science.
17 FEBRUARY 2021, Virginia Gewin
Art can be a powerful medium for exploring the deeper meaning of scientific endeavours. Collaborations between scientists and artists are under way around the world, and daily postings to social media with the #SciArt hashtag suggest that the often-disparate domains are merging in fresh and exciting ways. Although many such collaborations aim mainly to engage and educate the general public about science, scientists and artists are recognizing that creative partnerships can turn science into captivating art.
High-profile funders — including the US National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, the Simons Foundation in New York City and Wellcome in London — have promoted arts-and-science projects on a wide range of topics, including climate change and artificial intelligence. Yet artists and scientists often inhabit different worlds, making it difficult for them to find potential collaborators. And, once a team comes together, it takes time to build a productive partnership that can meaningfully exchange ideas and set expectations for the final product.
Nature Careers sought top tips from art-minded scientists and science-minded artists for launching and maintaining collaborations that can challenge entrenched ideas.