The Art and Science LAB is a knowledge exchange format that fosters collaboration between researchers and artists to spread scientific research with social and environmental impact in Panama.
Artists and scientists selected for the LAB collaborate for 1 month, assisted by facilitators from our team, and present their results with the communities closest to the research with experiences designed by the artist-scientist team. The collaboration continues in the creation of an experience that we share with a wider public through an exhibition, publication and public programme.
The LAB has as its main objectives:
- To provide scientific researchers and artists with a meeting space for discussion, collaboration and the generation of experiences that share knowledge and inspiration in innovative ways.
- To promote scientific understanding and artistic creation.
- To offer communities more knowledge about their environment and creative means to better understand their natural and cultural heritage.
- To contribute to re-establishing a more balanced relationship between humans and our environment.
- Promote art as a space for reflection, research and a vehicle for knowledge transfer.
- To provide both participants and beneficiaries with a more integrated perception of the world.
Why an Art and Science Lab in Panama?
Panama is a country of great interest for scientific research due to its high degree of biodiversity. Such research annually produces results with strong impacts in the fields of health, environment and technology. However, this knowledge often fails to reach those of us who inhabit this wonderful living laboratory.
Furthermore, like many other countries, Panama has experienced accelerated and poorly regulated economic development in recent years. Ironically, this phenomenon tends to overlook the sustainable use of natural resources, good practices and education in urban and rural communities. Without realising it, we devalue our natural and cultural heritage, contributing to a lack of interest in acting for its conservation. This, of course, puts at risk both our ecosystem, our livelihoods and those of future generations.
At Estudio Nuboso, we see the integral knowledge of our environment as the key to empowering people and rewriting the narratives of what Panama is and can become. Similarly, we see art as a powerful vehicle for understanding the world and sharing ideas that benefit humanity. This LABoratory is an opportunity to spread scientific knowledge and expand perceptions.
Read about our two LAB experiences so far: