When Science meets Art: A celebration of discovery and creativity
by
Nokuthula Mbanyana-Nhleko
Science is often viewed as an evidence-driven field that integrates data, numbers, and complicated formulas to understand the world around us, but it is more than that. The field of science is not only about collecting facts, but it involves creativity, imagination and sense of wonder. Just like Art, both fields require curiosity, thinking out of the box, exploring new avenues, experimenting, and unexpected discoveries. Another key aspect of science and Art is visualization. The Art of Science exhibition at Iziko Museums of South Africa explores the artistic side of science. This exhibition encourages deeper connection between public and science, by visualizing and interpreting scientific discoveries into something that can relate to the public. The idea behind this exhibition is to bridge the gap between scientific discoveries and public understanding, and to encourage a deeper appreciation for the natural world by breaking down the scientific language barrier that often excludes the public.
The Art of Science exhibition is showcasing Iziko’s collections and the research emanating from these collections, through high-definition scientific images of life on Earth in an artistic format – from the smallest insects on land to the mysterious world beneath the sea.
The image above is the bejewelled rear-end of the Splendid Cuckoo wasp (female), with an egg-laying nozzle visible. These wasps invade nests of unrelated host species, e.g. bees and wasps, to lay their eggs. They have a fascinating defensive mechanism. The female Splendid Cuckoo wasp can fold her abdomen underneath her body to protect her vulnerable underside against stings from the bees and wasps whose nests she is parasitizing. The metallic coloration is a result of light refraction, the wavelengths of which are determined by the structure of the extremely hard cuticle, a defence against the host wasp or bee stings. This is one of the brilliant images displayed in the Art of Science exhibition. To learn more about Afrotropical wasp species – please visit https://www.waspweb.org/.
This is one of the brilliant images displayed in the Art of Science exhibition, showing the zooids of a bryozoan (a colonial marine moss animal). These animals use zooids for various functions, including feeding, reproduction or excretion. The triangular teeth-like structures above the orifice are thought to provide protection against foreign objects and would-be-predators. The colony forms irregular patches on hard substrates like mussel shells and is only found on the east coast of South Africa.
The Art of Science exhibition is also giving a glimpse of extinct animals that once roamed our planet. We invite you to come and visit this exhibition, to explore science through an artistic lens and experience the unseen wonders of our world. Through this exhibition, we hope the journey into the minds of the scientists who make artistic decisions in their work every day, will inspire you to appreciate the vital role of museum collections-based research in understanding our natural world.
