Event 1: Marta de Menezes’ Talk

 This week I went to a talk hosted by Marta de Menezes, who is a very accomplished artist originally from Portugal, has a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Lisbon, and has created a plethora of art exhibits alongside creating opportunities for other artists to express their integration of science within art. One is Cultivamos Cultura, which is an institution that allows artists as well as scientists to work with one another in collaborative art that utilizes both disciplines to create something unique. Marta stated that her passion for science and how it can be used and expressed through art came from her husband, who is an immunologist.

Showcasing the different disciplines within science and its involvement in art

What I found really interesting is the way in which Marta described the question "What is art?". She stated that there is no universally correct answer to the question, and the answer to the question can come from very different places for different people. In the case of her husband, he would say that the immune system encapsulates what art truly is, since it is the most creative system in the body, creating molecules that never existed before and giving birth to things that don’t exist. Science adds another perspective within art, allowing us to view the world from an unconventional perspective (Kevles).

Slide giving details on Immortality for Two artwork

One piece Marta covered in her talk that resonated with me was Immortality for Two. It showcased the value of scientific imaging and how it can be used to express artistic creativity in a novel way (Vesna). I very much appreciated the way the art was displayed; the immortal cells of the couple were displayed as pairs on the canvas through microscopic imaging. Through microscopic imaging, you are able to create art under the microscope using the smallest living organism and the vibrant and distinctive aspects they have to create something inspiring (Bisby).

Citations

Bisby. Art under the Microscope: Cell Press. https://www.cell.com/pictureshow/art-under-the-microscope. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Human Body & Medical Technology Part 2.”

Kevles, Bettyann Holtzmann. “The Interplay of Art and Science.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 1 May 2007, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-interplay-of-art-and-science/.