Please join me at the Journées internationales de la culture scientifique – Science & You conference at McGill University, Montreal, on May 5, 2017, at 3:00 p.m.,  where I will be presenting my talk Art in Dialogue with Science.

My presentation is part of a panel titled Scientific Literacy and Citizen Involvement, hosted by Rebecca Duclos Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Concordia University, and Cristian Zaelzer Ph.D., Neuroscientist, Research Associate at the RI-MUHC, Founder & Director of the Convergence Initiative. Fellow panelists are Emilie Peco Ph.D., Neuroscientist, Research Associate at the RI-MUHC, and Phil Peters, Installation Artist.

Presentation abstract:
Science and art were closely practiced until the advent technologies such as photography, which rendered the function of
art as a tool to represent the natural world useless, consequently creating a rift between the disciplines that persists to
this day. Why is that so? Are there still benefits to the arts and sciences engaging in conversation? What examples exist
today that fights the stereotypes of the art/science division? The proposed panel falls into the categories of “Citizen
Involvement” and “Scientific Literacy,” and focuses on the convergence of science and the arts. Our primary purpose is
to discuss a connection between these communities to make scientific research more accessible to the general public,
expose new innovative opportunities for scientists to communicate their research through art, and to give artists access to
new and fascinating areas for inspiration. Today, new examples of the cooperation between sciences and the arts pop-up
everywhere, from the Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel’s latest book to the Artscience lab, Le Laboratoire in Paris, and the
ArtNeuro initiative in London, UK. Convergence is possible, and it all starts with a conversation.