Where Science Meets Art

Meetings between science and art, an exchange of ideas between scientists and artists

 

Curator: Yivsam Azgad

 

Contemporary conceptual art, much like the art of science, sprouts from an inner seed, within the awareness of the artist or scientist. Each must then undergo a rigorous process of refinement, isolation and experimentation. Each of these worlds is based on a central tenet of precision and consistency. In this, the ideologies and roots of the two appear not only to approach each other, but to abut in many places.

At the Weizmann Institute of Science, art is seen to be a complementary activity, so that scientists and artists can, together, observe the world from a higher vantage point in a more critical and precise way. In other words, the synergy that occurs when science and art are brought together – when the two world views meet – can lead to more significant achievements in the enduring quest to understand the world and our place in it.

Based on this concept, art exhibits have been displayed in various work spaces in the Weizmann Institute of Science in recent years – primarily showings of contemporary Israeli art.

Lee Yanor places us in front of a "delayed" video installation, an overly enriched environment that invites us to gaze directly and simultaneously at wheat fields, the surface of the sea, a full moon night, carpets of anemones, light raindrops — and a human body in motion. These scenes are...
The banality of existence finds vibrant expression and celebration in Ofer Shomron’s works. With the humble means of brushes, paints, and canvases, he challenges time to stop momentarily, and attempts to “frame,” at least in our memory, fleeting daily moments that appear insignificant in real time...
In the general theory of relativity, a gravitational field is (mathematically) described by spacetime curvature, or, as physicists call it, the “metric.” According to this concept, the metric describes a kind of dynamic, continuous, and complete fabric affected by the association between spacetime...
An aspiration to ‘converse’ with both the art world and the general public is apparent in David Gerstein’s work. His focus on figurative art enables him to share with us his insights into everyday life, here and now. An attempt to ‘imitate,’ or perhaps even compete with nature, drives his bold use...
Ambitious scientists who sought to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying evolution sparked M.C. Escher’s interest and imagination. The contemporary zeitgeist – a spirit of constant change and innovation – led him to develop a new branch of research, which can be dubbed “evolutionary...
Geometric structures and the “relationships” among them, as well as with other bodies, are a topic of fascination for Galya Lutzky, an alumna of the Moscow State Pedagogical University in mathematics. Simultaneously, she is also exploring how the interplay between ordered patterns can reveal the...
The Iron Age began some 3,200 years ago, probably in the area of modern-day Turkey. At the time, iron was used mainly for the production and design of various tools, such as spearheads, axes, and others. The ability to shape the metal as desired was made possible by the use of furnaces that smelted...
Landscape painting on the Weizmann Institute campus, using a smartphone screen. Intuition is Michael Slatkine’s first tool. His smartphone – which he terms “my studio” – merely provides the technology and space for the creative act to take place. He views the smartphone screen’s small dimensions as...
Shalom Flash focuses on landscape and urban landscape paintings, a movement that emerged in the 17th century in the Netherlands, and in the 18th and 19th centuries in other European countries. There are two types of landscape paintings: Panoramic, which present a comprehensive and sweeping view of...
The Koffler Accelerator was designed by architect Moshe Harel in 1975, and has since become an architectural emblem of the Weizmann Institute of Science. The unique structure consists of two towers: A 57-meter high corkscrew-shaped tower, and a 53-meter-high tower topped by an egg-shaped structure...
Exhibited at the complex of the Office for the advancement of women in science and gender equality    
Joshua Griffith is on the move. So claimed Gideon Ofrat in the 1990s. According to Ofrat, in those years Griffit – through his paintings – traveled in cars, trams, ships, carriages, motorcycles, airplanes, horses, sail and motor boats, gondolas, and anything that could take him away from here, in a...
In the world of photography, there is one boundary – one that is generally thought to be impassable. That boundary is the camera itself, which separates those standing in front of the lens and those who seek protection behind it. The ability to be simultaneously on both sides of the boundary is...
Hundreds, even thousands of people enter the Weizmann Institute of Science every single day. All are well aware of the importance of aesthetics and beauty to Institute life. The meticulous landscaping, the saplings alongside mature trees, the diverse flora, and painstaking cultivation – all these...
Joshua Griffit is on the move. So claimed Gideon Ofrat in the 1990s. According to Ofrat, in those years Griffit – through his paintings – traveled in cars, trams, ships, carriages, motorcycles, airplanes, horses, sail and motor boats, gondolas, and anything that could take him away from here, in a...
You are Here In one of the more memorable scenes in The King and I, Anna (played by Deborah Kerr in the movie), points to Siam on a map of the world. The king’s many children raise a hue and cry: The Siam they know is a large, glorious and populous country. It is not, as the songwriter Meir...