exCHANGE: when art meets science

What happens when artists and researchers step beyond their disciplines to jointly explore a complex and pressing issue like inequality? The project "exCHANGE – Exploring Pathways of Art-Science Collaboration" has found answers to this question: six teams have worked at the intersection of art and science, developing alternative approaches to research and societal engagement. The results will be presented in an exhibition, which will open on October 10 with a two-part vernissage in Bolzano.

Over eight months, artists from the South Tyrolean Artists' Association (Südtiroler Künstlerbund) and researchers from Eurac Research collaborated on a shared project. At first glance, this might seem like an unusual pairing, but the initiative aimed to explore alternatives to traditional research practices and new approaches to artistic engagement while contributing to broader societal discourse and action toward a fairer world. Over 60 artists and researchers submitted proposals for the exCHANGE project, and 12 were selected by a jury. Six interdisciplinary tandems tackled the theme of inequality in innovative ways, conducting interviews with bus drivers, exploring inequalities related to motherhood, climate change, and access to water, reinterpreting archaeological finds, and focusing on playgrounds as boundary zones and meeting points for diverse groups.

The collaboration itself was also an integral part of the research process. While the tandems concentrated on their individual projects, a team from the Center for Advanced Studies at Eurac Research, led by Giulia Isetti, observed and supported the interaction between artists and researchers. They examined the dynamics of collaboration, decision-making processes, and the impact of art-science exchanges on the teams' work and perspectives. Comic artist Valentina Stecchi also documented the creative process through her illustrations.

"Inequality is an incredibly complex issue. Synergies are essential to making our world fairer," emphasizes Isetti. "exCHANGE aims to make interdisciplinary collaboration not an exception but the new normal, encouraging us to think beyond conventional scientific and artistic practices." Lisa Trockner, Director of the South Tyrolean Artists' Association, adds: "Scientific and artistic research are inherently contradictory: while science seeks verifiable knowledge, art continuously raises new questions. Combining these approaches offers enormous innovative potential to foster positive societal change."

Installation at terraXcube and Vernissage at SKB Artes

The artistic and scientific results of the collaboration will be exhibited at the South Tyrolean Artists' Association headquarters (SKB Artes), located at Weggensteinstrasse 12A in Bolzano. The vernissage on October 10 will take place at two locations.

Eurac Research and the South Tyrolean Artists' Association first invite attendees to terraXcube, the Extreme Climate Simulation Center at NOI Techpark in Bolzano. At 5 PM, artist Silvia Hell and researcher Abraham Mejia Aguilar will present their environmental installation "THEMIS." This piece gives voice to trees, snow, and water to highlight the realities of climate change, with a focus on the rich geological history of GEOPARC Bletterbach. Everyone is welcome to attend the performance, but registration is required via the following link:
https://pretix.eu/exCHANGE-event-TxC/live/.

All works will then be showcased at SKB Artes. At 7 PM, the tandems — Astrid Kofler and Sara Parolari, Ingrid Hora and Elena Maines, Katharina Theresa Mayr and Verena Platzgummer, Maria Walcher and Verena Wisthaler, Luca Trevisani and Fabio Carnelli, and Silvia Hell and Abraham Mejia Aguilar — will present the results of their collaboration, opening a dialogue between art, science, and the public. The exhibition at SKB Artes will remain open until October 26, Tuesday to Friday from 11 AM to 5 PM, and Saturdays from 11 AM to 2 PM.

Tandems and Projects

• Astrid Kofler and Sara Parolari: Border Motherhood
• Ingrid Hora and Elena Maines: Cloud Catcher
• Katharina Theresa Mayr and Verena Platzgummer: Counterplaces (Gegenplätze)
• Maria Walcher and Verena Wisthaler: MY NAME IS HUMAN / Thank You, Dear Bus Driver
• Luca Trevisani and Fabio Carnelli: Recasting Ötzy. Playing Eco-Foundational Myths
• Silvia Hell and Abraham Mejia Aguilar: THEMIS: An Artistic and Research Approach to Raise Awareness About Climate Change that Produces Inequalities

Photo credits: Eurac Research/Annelie Bortolotti; TerraXcube: Eurac Research/Andrea De Giovanni