The Return of Artifact
11/11/2013 in Artifact, Collaborations, Imperial College, Imperial College Union, RCA, RCASU, Royal College of Art, Update
Artifact is back for another year! With an exciting programme of events and lectures planned over the next academic year, here’s our Co-Chair, Ros Pearce to tell you what we aim to create and why she got involved.
The Imperial College Union is once again teaming up with the Royal College of Art, in an exciting opportunity to promote communication and collaboration.
Artifact works like this: following a series of social events, scientists and artists from each college form partnerships. Taking inspiration from each other, these partnerships will work together to submit a proposal for the Artifact summer exhibition, to be shown at both Imperial and the RCA.
As a Scientist perhaps you would like the opportunity to explore your work creatively. Your work may have emotive or aesthetic value that you had not previously considered. Maybe you feel that your area has the potential to generate discussion. This is your chance to share your passion for your field with others.
As an Artist perhaps there is something that fascinates you about science. Science is transforming our world and our lives. Scientists can be seen as wizards, creators, destroyers, heroes, and the area of science commands incredible respect and power. Or perhaps there is a particular kind of expertise that you need to realise your ideas. Artifact provides a unique opportunity to access such expertise.
There is an increasing interest in interdisciplinary art, and I believe that some of the most thought-provoking work can come from the collaboration of the ‘two cultures’. From a young age people are sorted into ‘those who can do science’ and ‘those who can do the arts’. I think this is an oversimplification of the human intellect, and something that I always found restrictive. After all, some of the best scientific ideas have come from thinking creatively, and many artistic mediums require considerable technical expertise.
This is why I jumped at the opportunity to get involved with Artifact. Bringing together some of the brightest minds from two world-renowned institutions is sure to have interesting results. I’m already very excited to see what the final exhibition brings!
Ros – Vice-Chair
