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.
Ronit Keret
"Tears - Site-specific installation"
Sussman Family building for Environmental Sciences
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The Looming Flood
Cry as hard as you can. That’s the angry message that Benni Efrat sent us “from the future.” Efrat, one of the pioneers of conceptual art in Israel, learned about climate warning in the 1970s when he exhibited at MIT and met scientists there who exposed him to the...
Joshua Griffit
"Bearing Souvenirs #2"
The Max and Lillian Candiotty Building, 1st, 3rd floor
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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,...
Alexander Katan-Schmid, Gadi Dagon
"Body image"
The Max and Lillian Candiotty Building, 2nd floor
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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...
Dafna Moriya
"Depth"
Stone Administration Building, Entrance floor
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Dafna Moriya explores reality through depth, with each layer revealing yet another unknown aspect of the environment we inhabit. The hierarchy of depths, or heights, is reminiscent of our model of reality: The world of living organisms, including human beings, is unlike that of dust particles...
Orit Bechar and Yossi Shohat
"Photographed at the Weizmann Institute of Science"
Raoul and Graziella de Picciotto Building for Scientific and Technical Support, 2nd floor
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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...
Shay Zilberman, Eli Horesh
"The Shape of Water"
The David Lopatie International Conference Center, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot
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Shay Zilberman / “Elul Moon, after Lilien”, 2018
This self-portrait was first shown in an exhibit entitled “Men Gazing at Water,” in the Tel Aviv Artists’ Studios. Based on various earlier sources, the image presented here testifies to a material world that is...
Aviva Shemer
"“Tikkun” (Repair)"
Nella and Leon Benoziyo Building for Biological Sciences & Raoul and Graziella de Picciotto Building for Scientific and Technical Support 2nd floor
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Aviva Shemer (born 1942, Israel), attempted to create her artwork from the perspective of a tormented artist, expressing pain, criticism, and despair. She managed to bring upon herself quite a bit of suffering but was not satisfied with the results. Then, after much contemplation and deepening...
Joshua Griffit
"Bearing Souvenirs"
Stone Administration Building, first floor
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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...
Gadi Dagon
"Digital Dancer"
Raoul and Graziella de Picciotto Building for Scientific and Technical Support
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Gadi Dagon dances. For those who know him, this may seem a bit strange. But on second thought, it's not surprising in the least. When he was immersed in sports photography, he showed up one day with a portrait of himself in boxing gloves, with a crushed nose and blood trickling down his cheeks...
"Eye Contact - Seeing “what’s there”"
Open week days: Sunday to Wednesdays, 09:00 – 16:00 Closed on Thursdays and weekends
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Lia Addadi, Alon Olearchik, Dan Oron, Valeriy Ayzenberg, Eliahu Eric Bucobza, Hadar Burstein, Erez Biton, Ronen Basri, Gidi Gov, Yehonatan Geffen, Steve Weiner, Eduardo Zatara, Shai Zilberman, Shlomi Hatuka, Orit Ishay, Idit Levavi Gabai, Suren Manvelyan, Etty Spindel,...
Map
"Mapping in Science and Art"
Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Building for Biomedical Research
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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...
Or Raviv
"Update"
Stone Administration Building, Third floor
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In 1801, William Turner (1775-1851) was stopped by guards at the entrance to the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The guards had instructions to check the pockets of the young artist, who was already an Academy member and whose paintings were hung in the exhibit inside. It seems that during the...