Throughout the coming months, as the leaves start to be brushed with Autumnal colours, Aberdeen Science Centre is going to be exploring the links between science and art.
‘Art Lab: where art and science collide’ is taking place from September 2 until the end of November. The themed activities and workshops will be running at the weekends and during the school holidays at the 5-star visitor attraction.
Aberdeen Science Centre will be delivering various activities and workshops which will consider how artists use science as inspiration for their work. This ranges from looking at sculptures which are based on scientific data, to photographs of indoor clouds.
Calli Buchanan, public programme coordinator at Aberdeen Science Centre explained: “Art and science are intrinsically linked. This is evident in famous works of art, such as the Mona Lisa, which makes use of the Golden Ratio, an algebraic property, in its design.
“At a simple level, the very materials used by many artists, including Leonardo Da Vinci, will have been created thanks to scientists. Whether it’s the paints used to create the artworks which hang in museums and galleries around the world, or techniques to capture digital images, science will have played a role in creating the necessary technology. But the link is much more than this.
“Creativity runs through both science and art, those involved in these fields need to be creative, to look at things differently. Both also require attention to detail and good powers of observation. The main difference comes in the way they present their results to the world, but even here there are commonalities as many choose visual devices to show their work.
“Over the next couple of months, we are looking forward to showing how art and science collide, we are keen to show that there is so much more to science than people wearing white lab coats and looking serious.”
According to Calli, there are clear instances where artists have been inspired by science or used science to help them present their vision to the world.
“One example of this is the indoor clouds which are created by renowned artist Berndnaut Smilde. His cloudy creations last mere seconds, just long enough for the image to be captured.
“Smilde has been perfecting his process for over 10 years. He uses scientific techniques to combine the right amounts of moisture and dust to create an indoor cloud which is then photographed.”
Visitors to Aberdeen Science Centre will have the opportunity to try different scientific techniques to create their own artwork.
Calli, added: “It is amazing to think that you can take materials which many people will have in their kitchen and use them to create artwork. During the Art Lab sessions we will be showing visitors how to use water, soap and paint to create bubble art.”
Local artists are also being invited to swap their studios for an Art Lab at Aberdeen Science Centre. They will be able to showcase their own work and participate in the workshops being offered throughout the period.
Calli added: “In another example of science and art colliding, we have also invited contemporary art students from NESCol to come into the centre. They are being given the opportunity to display their work and gain science communication skills at the same time.”
Younger visitors to Aberdeen Science Centre will also be exploring how science and art are connected.
Calli said: “Our story sessions will also focus on art and science. We will be telling the story of Edwin Binney, an American inventor who created the first dustless white chalk. This innovation wasn’t enough for Edwin. He wanted to take it further and add colour to the world and give children a chance to make colourful pictures. His curiosity and inquisitive nature led to the invention of the Crayola crayon. His story is told through ‘The Crayon Man’.”
“We are also hoping to inspire our younger visitors to create their own artwork after hearing how mistakes can become masterpieces through Barney Saltzberg’s story, Beautiful Oops.
“We will have experiment tables set up so visitors can create their own artwork, from spinning tops to art robots. We are excited to see what a visit to Aberdeen Science Centre will inspire our visitors to create!”
Based on Constitution Street near Aberdeen beach, ASC is home to almost 65 interactive exhibits, allowing people of all ages to discover topics including Space, Energy, Life Sciences, Engineering, and much more.
ASC also host events and workshops throughout the year. Visit What’s On At Aberdeen Science Centre | Events, Shows & More to find out about our Halloween themed event and to see what’s happening at ASC on World Anatomy day.
Open seven days a week, Aberdeen Science Centre offers exclusive venue hire as well as room hire for corporate, social and private events.
To book a visit to the centre, visit https://aberdeensciencecentre.org/. Please note the Art Lab theme will not be running on Saturday, 7 October.