What do science and art have to tell each other? In a series of talks, Bonnefanten in collaboration with Studium Generale will explore. Where the artist meets the scientist.

Art and science. They seem to be two completely different worlds, incompatible. Art is expressive and instinctive. For science, the opposite is true: it is factual and in search of universally valid theories. Emotion versus reason. Creativity versus logic. But are these worlds actually so different? Can they interact and lead to something new and exciting? A series of talks will explore this.

In cooperation with Bonnefanten Studium Generale organises special encounters between art and science. Our guest this time is the artist Carl Cheng. Together with a scientist we will talk about his work. Over the last six decades he has worked in a variety of media to reflect on environmental change, the relevance of art institutions to their publics, and the role of technology in society. Carl Cheng is joined by his assistant Alex Klein, Head Curator en Director of Curatorial Affairs at The Contemporary in Austin, Texas. There she is responsible for the exhibition program of the Jones Center (center Austin) and the sculpture park at Laguna Gloria. Klein initiated the exhibition Nature Never Loses in close collaboration with Carl Cheng. They will have a conversation about art and science, the role of technology in society and the way we shape our future with Harro van Lente. He is full professor of Science and Technology Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Maastricht University. He is one of the founding fathers of the Sociology of Expectations, which studies how representations of the future shape current socio-technical developments. He has published more than 140 journal articles, book chapters and edited volumes on technology dynamics, innovation policy and knowledge production.  Rob van Duijn, head of Studium Generale Maastricht, is the moderator.

Date

Sunday 11 May 2025

Time

2pm - 4pm

Where

Auditorium, Bonnefanten

Language

English

Entrance

Free admission on presentation of a valid ticket. Did you know we do student discounts? A student ticket costs €8.75.

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The series of talks ‘Artist meets Scientist’ is organised in collaboration with: