The podcast ‘Art meets…’ was launched as part of the Foundation’s ‘Art, Science and Technology’ focus (2021-2024 Federal Cultural Policy Statement), which supports collaboration, exchange and production between these three fields. After the first season in 2021, the podcast is now going into its final and second round.
Composed as three mini-series, the second season of the ‘Art meets…’ podcast brings together artists, cultural practitioners, scientists and experts from institutions worldwide discussing the conditions of fruitful transdisciplinary collaboration and sharing insights into art-science projects in which they have been involved or have enabled.
In nine episodes, listeners hear from curators (why bring together and showcase art and science?), institutions (why work at the intersection of art and science?), project managers (what challenges and opportunities are there when it comes to facilitating collaboration between art and science?), artists and scientists (what is the influence of the change of perspective and work beyond disciplines on their practice and methodology?).
The podcast can serve as a source of inspiration for practitioners and institutions interested in collaboration between art, science and technology, by making the conditions and outcomes of these collaborations tangible. The conversations take place in English, bringing together artists and experts from around the world who, for their part, use English as a language of communication.
Overview of the episodes:
PolARTS (1/3): Curiosity
Maëlle Cornut (visual artist) and Dr Gianalberto Losapio (environmental scientist) explain their motivation to collaborate at the intersection of arts and science within the PolARTS programme. Also, they talk about their upcoming joint field trip to the Ferpècle and Mont Miné glaciers in the Swiss Alps.
PolARTS is a joint initiative of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and the Swiss Polar Institute to stimulate exchange and foster collaboration between art and science.
PolARTS (2/3): The glacier
During a hike on site in Val d’Hérens (CH), where a scientific team installed their camp for several weeks, artist Maëlle Cornut and Dr Losapio discuss their field work from a scientific and artistic perspective while witnessing the melting of the Mont Miné glacier.
PolARTS (3/3): When it clicks
Seraina Rohrer (former head of Innovation & Society at Pro Helvetia) and Danièle Rod (executive director Swiss Polar Institute), who initiated PolARTS, recall why they initiated the programme and discuss what makes an art-science collaboration fruitful.
Fungi Cosmology (1/3): In the Amazon
The scientists Martina Peter (CH) and Patricia Silva Flores (CHI) and the artists Jorgge Menna Barreto (BRA) and Maya Minder (CH) recall their experiences during a joint field trip to the Brazilian Amazon as part of ‘Fungi Cosmology’, a project bringing together science and arts professionals from Brazil, Chile, and Switzerland.
Fungi Cosmology is a project co-created by LabVerde (BRA), CAB Patagonia (CHI), artists-in-labs program (CH) and foodculturedays (CH).
Fungi Cosmology (2/3): Curating exchange
The curators Lilian Fraiji (BRA), María Luisa Murillo (CHI) and Irène Hediger (CH) talk about their motivation to bring artists and scientists together and their aim to create spaces within ‘Fungi Cosmology’ where experts with diverse backgrounds and from different disciplines can enter into dialogue.
Fungi Cosmology (3/3): A question of perspective
After the joint field trip to the Brazilian Amazon, the artists, scientists and curators take stock of the collaboration, reflecting its lasting impact on their practices and discussing intentions and expectations for the upcoming field trips to Chilean Patagonia and the Swiss Alps.
The group’s trip to the Brazilian Amazon, including a field trip to Manaus City, ecological reserves, and Cuieiras River, was followed by a second research trip to Chilean Patagonia in March 2024, and a third and last trip to Vevey (Switzerland) in the second half of 2024.
Khoj (1/3): To search
Pooja Sood, Director of Khoj, a contemporary arts organisation in New Delhi and Akshay Pathak, former Head of Pro Helvetia New Delhi, give insights into the art scene in the region and into cultural exchange and artistic collaboration between South Asia and Switzerland.
Khoj (2/3): Possibilities
Kaldi Moss, multidisciplinary artist from India and former resident at Khoj, shares highlights from past and current projects. The artist shows creative practices around spatial sound, interactive installations and experimental concerts that go beyond the conventional boundaries of art and science.
Khoj (3/3): The art of curiosity
Indian artist Rohini Devasher, who took part in the Connect India Residency at CERN, talks about her fascination for science and how she aims to apply scientific methodology to her artistic practice.
Connect is an international programme by Arts at CERN and Pro Helvetia connecting the arts with fundamental science.
«Art meets …»
Available on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Deezer
Episode duration: 15-20 minutes
Host: Jennifer Khakshouri
Composer and sound designer: Lukas Fretz
Production: Audiobande
