Art and Science: A Cautious Courtship in Rome

The dialogue between art and science is reemerging in specialized newsletters like Nettime, Spectre, and Yasmin, and in Rome at venues such as MAXXI and Palazzo delle Esposizioni. Michelangelo Pistoletto links his Third Paradise variant to the VITA space mission (Vitality, Innovation, Technology, Ability), creating a logo that evolves into an intervention with the Italian Space Agency. An app allows users to download space photos with the logo, contributing to an image archive with astronaut assistance. At the Digitalife exhibition, new media artist Stelarc and roboticist Massimo Bergamasco met. Stelarc has experimented with body sensors, gastric probes, and a synthetic ear implant; Bergamasco develops humanoid robots at the University of Pisa, researching sensory capabilities. Kristoffer Gassinger, director of Transmediale, noted that art is not necessarily good or innovative, while science aims to be positive and innovative. At MAXXI's Gravity exhibition, Tomás Saraceno engages with scientific innovations, recreating anti-gravity simulation structures and using satellites to capture space sounds. He discussed spacetime with physicist Giovanni Amelino-Camelia. The article questions whether art and science are ready for marriage, noting that funding is still lacking.