Imperial College Exhibits Artworks Inspired by Research Projects

The Paint Lab project, returning for its third iteration at the Great Exhibition Road Festival, facilitated a science art collaboration between London-based artists and researchers from Imperial College London, attracting over 50,000 visitors to associated activities. Curated by Interplay, in conjunction with Imperial’s public engagement team, the initiative transformed Exhibition Road into a live art studio where the public could observe the development of artworks and interact with both scientists and artists. The selection of participating scientists was based on the alignment between their research projects and the Paint Lab theme, which concerns sensory perception across humans, plants, animals, and emerging technologies.

Resulting artworks drew inspiration from a diverse range of research areas, including investigations into space weather prediction via the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter mission, plant resilience, early Parkinson’s detection, and supportive care during cancer treatment. Frankie Strand’s piece, for instance, emerged directly from a collaboration with researchers studying the sun’s influence on life, extending consideration to the possibility of life beyond Earth, while Matt Munday’s work, ‘Listening, Not Hearing’, stemmed from conversations with a researcher at the Dyson School of Engineering specialising in the perception of sound. Bec Dennison, a participating artist, characterised Paint Lab as a stimulating experience, noting how the combination of scientific research and visual expression encouraged the construction of meaningful narratives from data and pushed creative boundaries. The project fundamentally challenges artists to derive significance from research and translate complex findings into compelling visual representations.

Research-Inspired Creations

The eight artworks created during the Paint Lab project will be exhibited at Imperial College London’s White City campus. This exhibition follows the project’s implementation as a live art studio during the Great Exhibition Road Festival, where over 50,000 visitors engaged with the science art collaboration and associated activities. The project was organised by Imperial in collaboration with the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and the V&A, further broadening its reach and impact.

Participating scientists were selected based on the relevance of their research to the Paint Lab theme, which focused on sensory perception in humans, plants, animals, and technologies. This thematic alignment ensured a cohesive link between the scientific investigations and the resulting artistic interpretations. The diverse range of research areas informing the artworks included investigations into plant resilience, early Parkinson’s detection, and supportive care during cancer treatment, demonstrating the breadth of scientific inquiry represented.

Bec Dennison noted that the Paint Lab project pushed creative boundaries and encouraged the construction of meaningful narratives from data, highlighting the impact of the science art collaboration on artistic practice. The project presented a fundamental challenge to artists, requiring them to derive significance from research and translate complex findings into compelling visual representations.

Bridging Disciplines and Narratives

The resulting artworks drew inspiration from diverse research areas, including space weather prediction, plant resilience, early Parkinson’s detection, and supportive care during cancer treatment. Frankie Strand’s piece emerged from a collaboration with researchers involved in the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter mission, investigating the sun’s inner workings and its influence on life on Earth, prompting consideration of potential life forms around other stars. Matt Munday’s work, ‘Listening, Not Hearing’, resulted from conversations with Rebecca Stewart of the Dyson School of Engineering, who studies the multi-dimensional nature of sound and its perception.

Bec Dennison, one of the participating artists, described Paint Lab as a stimulating experience, noting how the combination of scientific research and visual expression pushed creative boundaries and encouraged the construction of meaningful narratives from data. The project fundamentally challenges artists to derive significance from research and translate it into compelling visual representations.