The Connect Chile residency, a biannual juried award that celebrates the fusion of art and science, is pleased to announce its latest honorees. Dominique Koch, hailing from Basel, Switzerland, and Chilean artist Marcela Moraga have been selected for a unique dual residency experience, bridging the worlds of art and science at the renowned CERN in Geneva and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.
Connect Chile is an initiative that brings artists from any stage of their career into dialogue with the scientific community. The residency offers the selected artists an unparalleled opportunity to explore the world’s most advanced scientific research facilities, fostering a deep connection between artistic expression and scientific inquiry.
CERN, located in Geneva, is renowned for its groundbreaking work in particle physics, utilizing intricate particle accelerators and detectors to study the fundamental constituents of matter. In Chile, ESO’s telescopes and ALMA observatory focus on observing astronomical objects and the coldest, most distant cosmic entities, respectively. The residency is coordinated by the Centro Interactivo de los Conocimientos – MIM in Chile.
Dominique Koch is known for her installations, described as “thinking laboratories,” where she amalgamates various research fields to create enthralling intellectual intersections. Marcela Moraga, a Chilean artist, delves into the intricacies of the nature-culture binary through her drawings, textiles, and video performances, weaving narratives that bridge the human and non-human worlds.
During their residency, Koch and Moraga will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the scientific environments of CERN and the Chilean observatories. They will work closely with scientists, engineers, and curators from Arts at CERN in Geneva and Chile, aiming to craft new forms of artistic expression inspired by their scientific experiences.
Mónica Bello, the head and curator of Arts at CERN, expressed her excitement for this unique dual residency, stating, “This exceptional dual residency will see artists Dominique Koch and Marcela Moraga embark on a remarkable journey, delving into the diverse realms of physics research, all against the backdrop of two of the world’s most awe-inspiring scientific locations, CERN and ALMA-ESO.”
Seraina Rohrer, the head of Innovation & Society at Pro Helvetia, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange in art and science, noting that “new creation processes and inspiration are generated in the context of interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange and experimentation.”
The Connect Chile program represents the fifth edition of Connect, which has previously offered residencies at scientific organizations in South Africa and India. Launched in 2021 by Arts at CERN and Pro Helvetia, Connect serves as a bridge for artistic and scientific communities worldwide to collaborate and explore the exciting intersections of art and science.
The selection for Connect Chile was made by a distinguished jury comprising Mónica Bello, Josefina González, Lucie Kolb, Enrique Rivera, and Jennifer Teets, reflecting the program’s commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue between the arts and sciences.
