Cica Gallery artistic residencies unite art and science

The Cica Gallery artistic residencies unite art and science in a research center of the University of A Coruña.

During these months I have participated as an artist in this project project organized by the CICA- Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry - Biology of the University of La Coruña y supported by FEYCIT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology.

This Galician research center, which is responsible for the development of different scientific research projects, has organized a meeting between artists and scientists from different disciplines, has organized a meeting between artists and scientists from different disciplines.

The Cica Gallery artistic residencies aim to popularize science through these artistic practices that unite art and science.

Inés Rodriguez at Cica Gallery

One of the artists selected for this artistic residency is Inés Rodríguez, creative and artisan textile designer.

For several months he has been working in the Nanoself Laboratory. This scientific team researches with gold and graphene nanoparticles for medical uses. This scientific laboratory is directed by Alejandro Criado and Jesús Mosquera and has hosted this artistic residency.

The artist and textile designer has worked combining art, craftsmanship and science in her fabrics as indicated on the Cica Gallery website in Inés Rodríguez's artistic profile - see more https://cica.udc.gal/landing_participant/ines-rodriguez/

It has been several months of tests with different textile and artistic techniques and also several and also several experiments with graphene and gold to to achieve a piece of textile art that represents the artistic and scientific work.

In order to carry out this artistic residency, I am a textile designer and I have done extensive research work. research scientific materials. But she has also investigated with respect to artistic materials and artistic materials and textile techniques such as natural dyes or photography.

Although this is not the first time that I have worked in an art artistic residency with unusual materials to create new textile experiments new textile experiments, it is my first experience in a scientific laboratory.

In previous experiences of textile experimentation, such as REGA 22 , the proposals were more design prototypes than finished artistic pieces.

On this occasion my goal was to work with scientific researchers, apply these substances to textiles and create pieces that reflect this process as well as my creative universe through textile art.

This process is embodied in my case in the textile art pieces and in my Scientific Artistic notebook, which collects all the work process. In it the inspiration, textile and artistic references such as Fortuny and also scientific, formulas and supports used are captured.

To learn more about the artist residency click here https://cica.udc.gal/landing_post/ciencia-arte-y-cultura-asi-fueron-las-residencias-artisticas-del-cica/

How to unite Art and Science.

Art and science also share with craftsmanship an interest in knowledge.

This knowledge is embodied in different ways in the scientific and artistic fields. But art, science and craftsmanship have several things in common, although they are very different disciplines.

• Materials: In all these disciplines the knowledge and study of materials .
• This will determine the final result of all the experiments. The way to express it will be different in each of them, either through a health product or an artistic work that nourishes the soul.
• Knowledge as an end - In pure science and in artistic practice, knowledge drives the search for innovative solutions or the expression of an idea or hypothesis. This knowledge always enriches society in one way or another, bringing improvements, advances, innovation or a different look at a subject.
• Experimentation- Although with different methods, experimentation with materials explores all its possibilities, in this case in the artistic field and with textiles where graphene and gold nanoparticles are integrated in different pieces of textile art.

The overlap between these disciplines throughout history has been total. Until recently, artists used to make their color mixtures with recipes that contained natural elements but also had chemical components.

Organic pigments and experimental techniques that were separated with industrialization joined art and science in paintings or textiles.

The same thing has happened in craftsmanship and its trades: bleaching yarns, dyeing with natural dyes, hardening or finishing textiles, were processes where chemical and inorganic substances typical of scientific processes were present.

Although later art and science were separated, artists for centuries have been somewhat alchemists and researchers of materials. Contemporary art makes much reference to the expression of materials and in particular textile art, is increasingly present in art galleries.   

The result of this coexistence between scientists and artists will take the form of a joint exhibition. 

In my case a series of tapestries and pieces of textile art that will be exhibited together with the pieces of the rest of the selected artists; Verónica Moar ceramist, Irene Sanz photographer, Cillas Rodríguez and Breogán Xague, multidisciplinary artists, at the Didac Foundation Gallery in Santiago de Compostela. at the Didac Foundation Gallery in Santiago de Compostela.

This exhibition will show the creative processes and final results of this artistic residency at the Cica Gallery will be curated by Deborah Garcia, PhD and science communicator.