Art + Science visits in Amsterdam
I had the opportunity to visit Amsterdam in late February and I went to a few exhibitions to get inspired about the interactions between art and the natural world. Artists from the past and the present bring different perspectives and ways of addressing climate issues, as well as simply ways of observing nature.
The Life of Plants at VU Art Science Gallery
On this art-science exhibition, the importance of plants and their unique qualities are explored by different artists. Besides their natural beauty, through their biology and significance, plants embody our right to be alive on this planet.
The different methods chosen by the artists such as dye residues on the artwork ‘Searching for Florachrome’ present an interesting angle about human relationship with nature. The resulting images produced with the dyes are determined by the nature of the material rather than our perception of it.
ARTIS-Micropia
Discovering the invisible life of microbes at Micropia - I was surprised to find out that two-thirds of life on earth is microorganisms, which cannot be seen without a microscope. There is so much about nature that the naked eye can’t see which makes me think about all the invisible processes that happen without us noticing. The symbiotic exchanges, the interactions of bacteria and animals, bacterias and ourselves, the list of interactions and benefits are endless, as well as obviously - the downsides with the illnesses that they can bring. Another fact I was wowed by is the fact that 50% of oxygen on the atmosphere is produced by micro algae. Light-living bacteria (4th image to the right) have an intimate relationship with the marine animals on or in which they live. The animals use the light that the bacteria produces to entice prey, or communicate with one another. The bacterium receives shelter, oxygen and food in return. This is an example of a symbiotic relationship. Another type of zooplankton I am intrigued by is radiolaria with their intricate skeletons made of silica. Due to their rapid change as species and intricate skeletons, radiolarians represent an important diagnostic fossil found from the Cambrian onwards (read more on my radiolaria post here).
Coming soon on this post >> art+science perspectives on Rembrandt’s and Van Gogh’s art.
