On Thursday, 8 July 2021, the unveiling of objects created by students together with researchers and artists as part of the LOOSE CELLS – Innovating at the Crossfield of Art and Science project took place in Izola’s Pietro Copo Park  The project was designed by a consortium of four partners – InnoRenew CoE, University of Primorska, University of Nova Gorica’s School of Arts and PiNA.

The main idea of the project is to connect science, art, technology and education in order to establish situations where they meet. It is about developing a new direction of research that encourages radical innovation and introduces artistic thinking. University of Primorska and the University of Nova Gorica’s School of Arts students created the basis for connecting these areas, which inspires development of social and economic innovations on an international scale.

Image: Peter Purg

LOOSE CELLS included workshops, online courses, production work and the co-creation of a multilayer “art-science object” designed by students of diverse levels and backgrounds and based on important social starting points, like climate change, sustainability and human-nature-technology relationships. The object, which was presented in Pietro Copo park with a special performance, consists of a central sculpture made of recycled wood and living organisms, an interactive installation, an augmented reality (AR) environment and expresses a new, more open understanding of wood as a concept allowing sustainability because it is a natural material that also has a positive effect on people’s well-being and improves quality of life.

Image: Peter Purg

“I’m glad to be able to see today what students have created by combining the natural sciences and arts,” said Dr. Andreja Kutnar, InnoRenew CoE’s director. “Connecting different areas is certainly the right direction if we want to encourage creativity and find innovative solutions to the common challenges of today.”

Dr. Andreja Kutnar and Dr. Tilen Žbona. Image: Lea Primožič

The special contribution of the connection between science and art is shown in the way the process works, where no discipline prevails. Both science and art offer fundamental discoveries about the contribution of newly acquired knowledge and artistic contributions that work visually and give meaning to common thinking within the modern perception of living and the improvement of communication methods. In this sense, science and art are socially engaged in the local environment and at the same time operate more widely, both with the help of modern technologies and new media, while maintaining traditional approaches to feeling, compassion and orientation to protect and develop nature and the environment.

Students created installations under the guidance of mentors, experts, artists, producers and curators. Further, they had access to InnoRenew CoE and UP FAMNIT’s Department of Information Science and Technologies labs. In the coming months, the multi-layered object will move to KAMFEST in Kamnik (August), Koper’s IZIS Festival (September) and XCENTER (October), the hub of creative practices in Nova Gorica.

Project partners. Image: Lea Primožič

Installation in Izola’s Pietro Copo park. Image: Lea Primožič

LOOSE CELLS project partners are InnoRenew CoE, University of Primorska, University of Nova Gorica’s School of Arts and the association PiNA. The project was supported by the Municipality of Izola and the Center for Culture, Sport and Events of Izola.