Turn our Campus into your Canvas

Artsweek turns UNSW's Kensington campus into a creative stomping ground for up and coming artists looking to showcase their work as well as all students looking for an opportunity to flex their creative muscles and collaborate on artistic projects. 

Dive into a SciArt world during Artsweek 2019! This year we are aiming to communicate science through art.

Artsweek 2019 is all about collaborating across disciplines. Art can be used to communicate many things, and to encourage involvement from a diverse range of backgrounds, we are using it to communicate our scientific curiosity. We aim to educate and inspire during Artsweek 2019 with unique installations, events, and workshops that focus on the theme "science is art."  

SciArt Themes

To help paint the picture of what Artsweek 2019 will look like, we have highlighted four science categories that will be showcased during Artsweek.

1. Ocean Science Art: The ocean is a magical place for both scientists and artists, so it’s no wonder that it will be showcased during Artsweek this year. Ocean science includes anything from biology, marine animal ecology, oceanography, fluid dynamics, water chemistry, and so much more. An example of ocean science art is Natalie Rutkowka's mermaid mural which shows our connection to coral reefs in hopes to create an emotional response to save them!

2. Astronomy art: When you look up in the night sky do you think about the beauty of the stars or are you intrigued by what they are made of? Either question that comes to your mind is a question we’d like to explore in Artsweek. Astronomy includes the study of stars, planets, the solar system, and all things outer space, but it also includes things like the origin of life, the air we breathe, and the particles that make up matter! There’s so much that can be included in astronomy that it literally does not fit in this planet! Galaxy print has been an art trend that relates to this category, with Hana Kanee's version of it in digital art.

3. Anatomy art: The human anatomy has been a reference for both scientists and artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Charles Darwin. Anatomy includes human body systems like the circulatory system, the nervous system, the skeletal system, etc. Anatomy also includes the body structure of animals and the evolution of body parts and functions. A classic example of anatomy art is Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man and a more whimsical example is Lauren Squires’ “Almost Anatomical” collections. 

4. Technology art: Last but certainly not least, we give you technology art. Technology has been one of the keys to progressing out society and it has allowed for so many art and science discoveries. Technology includes anything from computer science, design, engineering, architecture, and medicine. There have been countless ways that technology has influenced art such as 3D printing, screen printing, virtual reality, and digital art. Examples of art that speak on technology come from our very own UNSW students like Shamanthi Rajasingham who shows us the distraction caused by our Iphones and Create Project Illuminate, a student-run group who created the Celestial Pancake for Vivid 2019.

SciArt = Science + Art

But what does that even mean? Since when did these two worlds fit together?

In the current academic and professional world, we categorize things, put them into boxes that are organized by topic or discipline, and that’s where they sit. That’s basically putting people into boxes or let’s say cubicles, where they sit specializing in their niche. We need experts in all fields, and that’s where this drive to specialization originated from, but we also need generalists or connectors. The real problems in the world are not categorized into boxes; it takes all kinds of experts to join their specialized fields together to solve these real-world problems.

SciArt aims to do that by connecting scientists and artists and by encouraging an interdisciplinary mindset from both. Both fields have been around for centuries and they both have sparked the curiosity of many major players in society’s progress.

It takes all kinds of experts to join their specialized fields together to solve these real-world problems

Science professionals know all too well that the world of publishing their research is competitive and trying, and sometimes we feel that our research has not been communicated properly or to the right audience. Science needs to make a difference and therefore, science communication is key. Art is a language everyone can speak. We can all look at something or experience something creative and feel a connection with the meaning behind the piece. If we all speak art, why don’t we use that language to communicate the hard things? Imagine the outreach that can be achieved when these fields come together.

Art is a language everyone can speak

The University of New South Wales in collaboration with Emerging Creatives of Sydney (ECOS), an up and coming SciArt community, is doing just that. Their most recent project is still in progress on the upper campus. SciArt murals have been created and painted on the Chancellery walk. These murals focus on coral reefs in the face of climate change. Each design was created by an artist with content derived from a scientist’s research topic. Participants include PhD students in marine science at UNSW and University of Newcastle, Sydney-based professional artists, UNSW Art and Design students, and aspiring SciArt communicators.

Over time our oceans have been warming and will continue to do so threatening our coral reefs. As the Great Barrier Reef is such an important Australian icon, many Australians are aware of this issue. However, some don’t know what’s going on and some of those who are educated, don’t know the details. We’d like to share those with you. We’d also like to introduce the blending of disciplines to make people more connected to each other. Come take a look at what we are starting and hope to continue through Artsweek 2019 with “Science is art” as our theme. Let’s make a difference and have fun doing it!

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Where | Chancellery walk upper campus

Who | ECOS and Artsweek

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The Science Behind the Slime

Artsweek is bringing you our DIY slime workshop at O-week and at the launch party for Artsweek on Tuesday, October 8th. Slime is a fun and hands on way to make something creative while learning about polymer chemistry. Without getting too deep into the details, we give you the scientific explanation for why slime works.

To make slime, you start off with glue which is made up of long chemical chains (think spaghetti). These long chemical chains are made up of multiple molecules all stringed together, which is called a polymer. One type of polymer is in PVA glue, polyvinyl acetate. These long chains or polymers in the glue slide past each other quite easily, which allows the glue to flow smoothly out of the bottle.

In addition to glue, slime requires a chemical activator. Slime activators can come in many forms and many combinations. For example, you can make slime with borax, a common white powdered cleaning solution similar to bicarb soda (baking soda). You can also make slime with bicarb soda, saline solution, and liquid starch. In most recipes, you will need a combination of these ingredients. Fortunately for the slime lovers, Elmer's has made a magical slime liquid that can be used in place of any of these household activators. The slime activator works by cross-linking protein molecules of those in the activator with those in the glue. Imagine a flow of traffic moving smoothly and then all of a sudden there is a car crash causing multiple cars to get stuck in the pile up or to slow down to see what is happening. In both situations, you get a slower flow and congestion.

Speaking of congestion, your slime may be looking a bit sticky once adding in your activators. This is the time to pick it up and knead it in your hands. More activator will decrease the stickiness of the glue. When you have finished, your slime has become a non-Newtonian fluid, meaning that is neither a liquid nor a solid. It can be picked up like a solid, but will ooze like a liquid. Pull the slime slowly and it will flow like a liquid, but pulling it quickly will cause it to tear apart. This is because you are mechanically breaking apart the chemical bonds!

Learning about the science behind the slime is a great way to think scientifically. Come to the Artsweek launch party in week 4 to make your own slime and experience science in action!

Date | T3W4 - Launch event Tuesday, October 8th

Time |4:30 - 8:30 pm

Where | Main quad