​Letter from the Editor

Dear readers,

From the beginning, SciArt set out to build a community of like-minded people. (Don't get me wrong, we love to argue, but all for the greater good of knowledge production and creative exploration.) It is around this time of year, when the holiday season hits, that a light shines on the value of community as we think about what we've accomplished this year, what our goals are for the next, and how we're going to achieve them. Nothing is done in a vacuum - and we are so grateful to our readers, writers, and guest artists and scientists for getting us to our 34th issue. We could not have done it without you!

When I think about the science-art community, I think about the nodes of cities and hotspots, and the network of the Internet that binds us. The Internet is not my favorite place in the world, but in the least, it's a powerful tool that enables the creation of a world-wide-web of folks interested in the science-art discourse in all of its varieties.

This December we feature the words and work of science-art practitioners from this world-wide-community, taking you from Arizona and the transdisciplinary work of Sha Xin Wei, then over to the U.K. for Leni Dothan's air pollution filtering sculptures, then down to Argentina for the creation of an object that is simultaneously art and science and something more, and then on from there. 

On a personal note, I recently moved from New York City to Cambridge, MA - it has been a joy to better get to know the vibrant science-art scene here, fueled by multiple branches at MIT, Harvard, and independent organizations like Catalyst Conversations and Swissnex. 

Happy holidays, and see you in the New Year!

Sincerely, 
Julia Buntaine Hoel | Founder, Editor-in-Chief

On view now through March 3, 2019, is "Broken Symmetries," a group exhibition curated by  Monica Bellow and Jose-Carlos Mariategui. This show features the work of ten international artists who explore scientific facts from alternative and novel points of view, borne from three years of dialogue and collaboration with physicists at CERN.

Special Topics issue: How can art influence science?

Letter from the Editor

Dear readers,
The question of how art can influence science has long been on my mind. I knew that it could - I've had a handful of supportive, specific examples in my pocket for some years now, examples I heard or read about. These stories are my go-to material when talking about the potentials for two-way interaction between art and science, they are my external justification for why I run a residency program which pairs artists and scientists together to collaborate. But through years of repeating the same examples, I began to doubt myself - were these stories the result of statistically unlikely events, and actually a rare occurrence? Unlike art influenced by science, instances of science being influenced by art don't have a natural public presence, they don't get announced or exhibited. I decided the best way to answer this question comprehensively, or least make an attempt to do so, was to gather evidence from the source; from scientists themselves. 

This issue is comprised of stories by international scientists who have actively engaged with the arts or in science-art collaboration, describing how this engagement has fed back into their own research. While this collection is by no means complete, I know of no other collection of this kind. It is my hope that with this collection, and perhaps future editions of this special topics issue, that we get closer to a cultural atmosphere where we will no longer have to ask what science gains from the arts, or why we should move from STEM to STEAM, or what a cross-disciplinary skill set can amount to. Without the need to justify cross-disciplinary work, we can focus on the fun part - the work itself!

I'd like to extend a special, and deep thank you to all who contributed to this issue. Your stories are profound, beautiful, and inspiring.

As always, I hope you enjoy this issue.

Sincerely, 
Julia Buntaine Hoel | Founder, Editor-in-Chief

October 4th, 6-7:30pm
MIT Press Bookstore, Cambridge MA

Leonardo is an academic, peer-reviewed journal which emphasizes the "writings of artists who use science and developing technologies" to create their work. The only journal of its kind, Leonardo celebrates 50 years of publishing this year around the world. ​

​Science Gallery Lab Detroit is seeking interactive, participatory works for DEPTH, a free exhibition that will explore the power and complexities of water and its many roles in the physical and social world.