When science meets art in EU projects

 ‘It would be ignorant and barbaric to think everything can be reduced to a rational understanding in a scientific way. Art is another way of understanding and    representing and must be treated as such.’
 Coenen is coordinator of the H2020- funded SYNENERGENE project, which is aiming to promote responsible innovation in the area of synthetic biology, the  science of building or modifying biological organisms. Part of their work involves creating public conversations through artistic and cultural events.

This is being done by creating works that appear in public spaces, including a film festival, art exhibitions, artistic residencies and theatre performances.One piece of art produced for the project, called Hare’s Blood + received an honorary mention in the 2015 Prix Ars Electronica competition for cyber arts. It involved creating a new organism by taking DNA from dried blood in an existing artwork, called How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare by German artist Joseph Beuys, and inserting it into yeast.‘In the process of engagement all actors in the process learn something, including the scientists themselves.’Christopher Coenen,

To get inspiration and learn more about the project, see the website of the project: http://synenergene.eu/

To identify similar opportunities and get funded for your art/science project, contact your National Contact Point Ms Mathilde Vivot at mvi@impulse.brussels