An event featuring over 50 art exhibitions throughout Southern California – and highlighted on UCLA’s campus – explored the connection between art and science to address pressing global issues. “PST ART: Art & Science Collide” is part of a regional event series operating on a five-year cycle, said Joan Weinstein, the program’s co-creator and co-director, in an emailed statement.
According to the exhibition’s website, “Atmosphere of Sound: Sonic Art in Times of Climate Disruption,” presented by the UCLA Art|Sci Center, features 13 artists’ interactive installations and performances exploring the climate crisis.
“Fire Kinship: Southern California Native Ecology and Art,” on display at the Fowler Museum, focuses on Indigenous and modern histories of fire and includes the work of 13 contributors.
Furthermore, according to their wall labels, various installations across the collectives focus on reclaiming Indigenous knowledge to heal natural systems.
“Memory Garden,” created by Iman Person, was showcased at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA from February 14 to March 14 as part of the exhibition “Atmosphere of Sound.”
The exhibit featured close-up images of indigenous plants from Los Angeles projected onto two walls, accompanied by soothing scents from hanging glass vials and birdsong and guided meditation emanating from overhead speakers.
Art Crafted With Attention to Detail
Victoria Vesna, co-curator of “Atmosphere of Sound,” noted that Person worked alongside a scent expert to create fragrances reminiscent of earth and soil. She shared that Person’s ancestors were enslaved and brought from Jamaica, with the exhibit aiming to express that crossing between worlds can be jarring for the traveler.
Furthermore, Vesna mentioned that individuals have lost awareness of how to use indigenous plants beneficially, unlike their ancestors.
“(It’s) very much related to our sense of being in a place,” Vesna said.
“Maybe they don’t even understand it (the artistic message), … but it’s still that impression that stays with you. And that’s what art does. To create a sense of wonder and curiosity and to be able to communicate this is really important.”
Exploring Fire, Artistically and Scientifically
At the Fowler, “Fire Kinship” focuses on the importance of land stewardship and sheds light on what the artists deemed harmful colonial fire practices.
Guest co-curator Lina Tejeda, who is Pomo, stated that she collaborated with four Indigenous tribes (the Tongva, Cahuilla, Luiseño, and Kumeyaay communities) to gather scientific knowledge about fire. She added that Indigenous science is often overlooked.
“To use their (the Native community members’) artistic rendition and their cultural understanding of fire makes it so much more powerful,” Tejeda said. “I see it (combining Indigenous knowledge and art) as a way to give back to natural systems in a good way – with a scientific background but still looking into the … ways that we were working and living with the Earth,” she added. “We lost that in a really bad way. So we have to pull it together.”
Tejeda expressed that art both enlightens and informs science, noting that developing “Fire Kinship” necessitated thorough research, which included reviewing numerous diary entries on Indigenous fire management practices. She also highlighted her investigation into the 200 years of fire suppression in California, particularly in Southern California.
Blending Science and Art
Vesna stated that the distinction between art and science is artificial, fostering intellectual and cultural divides. She also believed that academia unduly compels students to select either discipline.
“The point is to collaborate,” Vesna shared. “It’s not about one person doing one or the other. It’s about coming together as a group from many different disciplines using our strengths.”
Weinstein called the initiative a success, adding that it sparked discussions and questions about a more sustainable future. Although many exhibitions are winding down, some will continue through 2025 and 2026.
“In this current moment, when the value of both art and science are being questioned, the modes of communication associated with each help make the case for the necessity of the other,” Weinstein said in the emailed statement.
