Challenge #10


Wave of Light: Exploring Marine Phenomena through Art-Science Synergy

Problem Statement:

Investigating the dynamic phenomena of marine snow in the Twilight Zone and its oceanic carbon sequestration mechanism, leveraging artistic creativity to analyze and visualize new scientific data, fostering a deeper understanding of marine ecosystems, and possible symbiotic collaborations and alliances between inhabitants, under and over the sea.

Challenge description:

This challenge invites a young researcher to collaborate with Entangled Others Studio to explore the dynamic phenomena in the Twilight Zone, focusing on the migratory wave of microorganisms known as marine snow. These organisms rise to the surface nightly to feed, creating a moving wave of light and life. The researcher will be tasked with either procuring and analyzing new data to study additional phenomena within this migratory wave or deepening the analysis of existing data to uncover aspects not previously explored. The collaboration will leverage artistic perspectives to develop innovative visualizations and narratives, effectively communicating complex scientific data and raising public awareness. By integrating artistic creativity, the project aims to uncover new research questions and experimental approaches, promoting a deeper understanding of marine environments and contributing to their conservation and protecting their crucial role for the environment. This dialogue will also provide artists with insights into scientific processes, enriching their practice and creating a mutually beneficial learning experience.

Residency characteristics:

The residency aims to create a dynamic intersection where art and science inform and inspire each other, fostering innovative approaches to environmental research. This initiative aligns with MEET’s mission and six years of experience as a Regional S+T+ARTS Center, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration to ad+-dress global challenges.

The selected scientist will conduct research activities focused on the residency’s challenge, collaborating with Entangled Others Studio to explore innovative visions by enhancing and visualizing scientific data. This collaboration aims to contribute to shaping potential future symbiotic environments through new narratives and scenarios.

The scientist will have access to the spaces, facilities, and resources available at the MEET Center in Milan. MEET will also facilitate connections with external research institutions, including the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology (LINV), PNAT, the Deacon Laboratory – Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, ML Analytics, and the Area Science Park in Trieste.

During the residency, the scientist will engage in cross-disciplinary meetings and studio/laboratory visits with artists, to be scheduled collaboratively. MEET will organize meetings with LCC members and invite the scientist to participate in workshops and public events.

Established artists bio:

Entangled Others (Feileacan McCormick and Sofia Crespo)

Entangled Others is the collaborative studio practice of artists Feileacan McCormick and Sofia Crespo. Their work centers around ecology, nature, and generative systems, aiming to give non-human entities a presence and life in the digital realm. The duo explores the intersections of biology-inspired technologies with questions of relationship, biodiversity, and awareness. Through their work, they emphasize how conscious efforts and new technology can bring attention to the interconnectedness and unseen aspects of our existence. Entanglement is a complex state where no entity can be considered separate or unaffected by others. We cannot exist without others, act without interacting, or speak without being heard.

Selected Young Scientist bio:

Joan Llort

Joan Llort graduated in Physics from the University of Barcelona and completed his PhD in oceanography at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. He developed his research career at the University of Tasmania, Australia, and later at the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre where he is currently based. Joan’s research focuses on the effects of desert dust and wildfires on marine ecosystems and the marine carbon cycle by combining models, satellite observations, and marine robot data. In addition to scientific research, he is engaged in art-science projects that aim to rethink oceanographic and climate data from aesthetic and conceptual points of view. His involvement with artistic creation has led to his participation in festivals like Sonar, Biennal of Thought-CCCB, and Eufònic.

LCC:

Camilla Pandolfi 

with a background in Plant Physiology and Biomimetics, Camilla Pandolfi earned her PhD in Space Life Science at the University of Florence in 2008. In 2010, she received an Endeavour Research Fellowship from the Australian Government, researching plant growth under saline conditions at the University of Tasmania. She then joined the European Space Agency’s Advanced Concepts Team as a Postdoc in 2011, where she led projects in Space Biology and Biomimetics. In 2013, she won a Marie Curie IEF scholarship to study plant communication at the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology in Italy. Since 2014, she has focused on coordinating Pnat.

Eleonora Brizi

is a curator of digital art, known primarily in the emerging crypto art movement. After graduating in Orien- tal Studies in Rome, she moved to Bei- jing, where she worked as an assistant to Ai Weiwei and curator Jérôme Sans. In 2018 in New York, he discovered the experiments between art and blockchain. In 2020, she curated the exhibition “Renaissance 2.0” in Rome, followed by the book “Crypto Art Begins” in 2022, a collection of interviews with artists in the crypto art field.

Roberto Beragnoli

was born in Florence in 1990 and has had a passion for illustration and painting since a young age. He completed his studies in Computer Science and Philosophy at the University of Florence before embarking on a career in design, artificial intelligence, prototyping, and MVP development. Beragnoli collaborated with WASP and PNAT, a University of Florence spin-off directed by Prof. Stefano Mancuso, where he designed the monitoring system for PNAT’s Jellyfish Barge project for EXPO 2015 in Milan. The project aimed to address sustainable food production in urban environments. Beragnoli subsequently founded his own digital art studio the same year.

Residency hosting institution

MEET Digital Culture Center


Country

Italy


Keywords

Art-Science Collaboration, Twilight Zone, Marine Snow, Data Visualization, Environmental Crisis, Symbiotic collaborations.


Related innovation areas

Biodiversity and ecological dynamics of the Twilight Zone, Impact of human activities on deep-sea environments, Innovative methods for data visualization in marine science, Role of the Twilight Zone in global carbon cycles, Art as a medium for environmental advocacy


Established artists

Entangled Others (Feileacan McCormick and Sofia Crespo)


Jury day

November 19, 2024



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