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This text discusses the role of art in the face of the decay of respected institutions and the prevailing materialistic logic in our Western societies. Certain contemporary creations that challenge conventional ideas serve a cathartic function by engaging the public. The boundaries between artistic and scientific creation are porous, and collaborations between artists and scientists can give rise to hybrid works. The space for dialogue between digital creatives and digital scientists at the Cube demonstrates the significance of art-science hybridization in the creation and transmission of unique messages.
E. Krieger
Faced with the decay of the most respectable institutions and the irresistible « logic of money » that characterizes our Western societies, art constitutes a refreshing defiance against our comfortable certainties.
The more certain contemporary creations challenge conventional ideas, the more they fulfill their purpose, even if through occasionally controversial representations. Ultimately, whether one likes or dislikes a particular creation becomes inconsequential; artists like Maurizio Cattelan, Milo Moiré, or Deborah de Robertis engage and thereby serve a cathartic function. Some artists live quite comfortably in the role of court jesters, official provocateurs who provide an outlet for overly schizophrenic systems.
Artists and scientists are sometimes pitted against each other, as if artistic creation and the pursuit of knowledge obey entirely different mechanisms of thought and action.
Social functions and modes of expression that are seemingly very different
Initially, social functions and modes of expression appear to be vastly different. The artist is seen as an individual gifted in creating works capable of inspiring reflection or emotion. In contrast, the scientist contributes to the advancement of knowledge using rigorous research methodologies open to peer critique. A scientific discovery is never set in stone; it remains a statement subject to refutation, achieved through calculations, observations, or rigorous experiments. Such a process seems to leave little room for the daydreaming and creativity that characterize the artist’s work in the collective imagination.
In reality, the boundaries between scientific and artistic creation are highly porous. Scientists and artists can learn from each other and collaborate on hybrid works, born from rigorous research but expressed in unrestrained ways, much like protest art.
The Plateau de Saclay is one of those places where art-science hybridization thrives, particularly driven by the Diagonale Paris-Saclay, an association that aims to build bridges between scientists and members of society, including artists.
Art-science hybridization: a fruitful approach
Art-science collaborative projects are encouraged through calls for proposals. A joint initiative by Théâtre du Grain and CEARC (Laboratory for Cultures, Environments, Arctic, Representations, Climate) resulted in the exhibition « They go back in time », at the crossroads of art and paleoclimatology. The idea was to showcase ocean research and its realities through texts, photographs, sound recordings, and videos.
The Cube is another essential space for dialogue between digital creatives and digital scientists. I had the opportunity to witness the first steps of Art3000, the animation structure of the Cube, created in 1988 in the cellars of the Château de l’Églantine, Jouy-en-Josas. Nearly 30 years later, with the support of several institutional partners, the Cube has become an international reference in digital creation and in fostering dialogue between artists and scientists.
The stereotype of scientists versus creatives couldn’t be further from the truth, as these two characters enrich each other with their differences to create and convey a unique and more impactful message. The works of Vasarely perfectly illustrate this potential connection between art and science.
Adapted from Krieger E. (2019), « Artistes et scientifiques peuvent-ils se comprendre ?», La Revue du Cube #15, « L’urgence de l’art », 3 mai 2019. https://issuu.com/lecube-issy/docs/def?e=36299571/69566705 (pp. 17-18). Also published on: www.ikigai-colors.com/index.php/2023/08/02/artistes-et-scientifiques-peuvent-ils-se-comprendre-2/
