Contemporary conceptual art, much like the art of science, sprouts from an inner seed, within the awareness of the artist or scientist. Each must then undergo a rigorous process of refinement, isolation and experimentation.
Each of these worlds is based on a central tenet of precision and consistency. In this, the ideologies and roots of the two appear not only to approach each other, but to abut in many places.
At the Weizmann Institute of Science, art is seen to be a complementary activity, so that scientists and artists can, together, observe the world from a higher vantage point in a more critical and precise way. In other words, the synergy that occurs when science and art are brought together – when the two world views meet – can lead to more significant achievements in the enduring quest to understand the world and our place in it.
These catalogues offer a sampling from several exhibits that featured the works of both artists and scientists. These were exhibited in lab buildings, hallways, entrances, lecture halls, guest facilities and the conference centre of the Weizmann Institute of Science, all of which have functioned lately as alternative exhibit spaces.
