Think Art - Act Science
Walter and McBean Galleries
San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI)
800 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
Tuesdays–Saturdays, 11 am–6 pm
www.waltermcbean.com
www.sfai.edu
Transforming the Walter and McBean Galleries into a working lab, this exhibition is composed of eight artists who took part in the Swiss artists-in-labs program (Zurich University of the Arts/ZHdK), completing an immersive nine-month residency in a scientific research institute or a university science department. During these residencies, the artists were exposed to discourses within the scientific community and gained deep insights into the methodologies and processes of scientific research in areas ranging from biology and biodiversity to cognitive neuroscience and psychology to nanotechnology, robotics, and artificial intelligence. The resulting exhibition is arranged around three main themes addressed by the artistic investigations: ecology and environment, spatial awareness and emotions, and explorations of new technologies.
Think Art – Act Science is a part of the New Models of Culture and Art Production section of SFAI’s Exhibitions and Public Programs structure, which manifests new modes of production—both in terms of artistic creation and economic, industrial, and technical productions—in the process of globalization. The exhibition is curated by Irene Hediger in collaboration with Hou Hanru and Mary Ellyn Johnson.
In addition to the exhibition, there are multiple workshops, performances, and conferences held both in the Walter and McBean Galleries and at swissnex San Francisco, including events taking place as part of the Bay Area Science Festival.
Events at SFAI:
Workshop
October 22, 2 pm, SFAI galleries: Landscape of Identity with Monika Codourey and Alina Mnatsakanian
Bay Area Science Festival
November 3, 6 pm, SFAI lecture hall: Remaking the Universe Using Particle Physics and Art
Lecture/performance with Christian Gonzenbach and Martin Pohl (CERN, University of Geneva) and live artistic experiment in interaction with the public
Conference
November 10, 6 pm, lecture hall: When Artists and Scientists Work Together: Self-portraits, Consciousness, and the Brain
Discussion with Nicole Ottiger and Olaf Blanke (Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL)
Events at swissnex San Francisco:
730 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
Conference
October 20, 6:30 pm: Smarter Air Travel: Design Approaches for Global Travelers
Discussion with Monika Codourey and Hou Hanru
Bay Area Science Festival
November 2, 6 pm: Best of LASER (Leonardo, International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology)
With QUARC – Quantum art crystal by Christian Gonzenbach and Martin Pohl (CERN, University of Geneva)
San Francisco Art Institute
Founded in 1871, SFAI is one of the oldest and most prestigious schools of higher education in contemporary art in the U.S. Focusing on the interdependence of thinking, making, and learning, SFAI’s academic and public programs are dedicated to excellence and diversity. For more information, visit www.sfai.edu or call 415.771.7020. For more information about the Walter and McBean Galleries, visit www.waltermcbean.com or call 415.749.4563.
SFAI’s exhibitions and public programs are made possible in part by the Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund. Think Art – Act Science is generously supported by swissnex San Francisco and the Swiss Arts Council, Pro Helvetia and is a project of the U.S.-wide program ThinkSwiss-Brainstorm the Future.
