Arts at CERN

Arts at CERN, in collaboration with the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, has announced Swiss artist Dominique Koch and Chilean artist Marcela Moraga as the two selected artists for the Connect Chile dual residency

Connect is a biannual juried award that supports outstanding practice by artists at any stage of their career who are interested in the dialogue between art and science. Connect Chile invited a selection of artists to propose ideas for a residency in both locations. The two honorees will complete a dual residency, spending three weeks at CERN, Geneva, and three weeks at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The residency in Chile is organised and coordinated by the Centro Interactivo de los Conocimientos – MIM.

Switzerland and Chile are home to some of the world’s leading scientific research facilities, dedicated to investigating the mysteries of the universe. CERN, in Geneva, studies the fundamental constituents of matter with the most complex particle accelerators and detectors. In Chile, ESO’s telescopes are used to observe a wide range of astronomical objects and the ALMA observatory studies the coldest and most distant objects in order to understand our cosmic origins. Connect Chile will juxtapose their complementary scientific and technological research, fostering meaningful dialogue between the arts and sciences through cultural exchange.

Dominique Koch lives and works in Basel, Switzerland. In her installations, which she describes as “thinking laboratories”, the artist merges different fields of research to create hybrid entanglements and unlikely intellectual encounters.

Chilean artist Marcela Moraga explores the tensions of the nature–­culture binary. In her drawings, textiles and video performances, Moraga develops new narratives that establish a connection between humans and non-humans.

During their residencies, the artists will explore the extraordinary scientific sites, gaining a first-hand understanding of the scale and complexity of the research taking place there. Koch and Moraga will work with and receive support from scientists and engineers, as well the curatorial teams from Arts at CERN in Geneva and from Chile to research new forms of expression in their artistic practices and transform these new forms into works of art.

“I am thrilled to mark the fifth edition of Connect, this time as Connect Chile, which builds upon the successes of the long-term partnership with the Swiss Art Council Pro Helvetia. This exceptional dual residency will see artists Dominique Koch and Marcela Moraga embark on a remarkable journey, delving into the diverse realms of physics research, all against the backdrop of two of the world’s most awe-inspiring scientific locations, CERN and ALMA-ESO,” says Mónica Bello, head and curator of Arts at CERN.

“New creation processes and inspiration are generated in the context of interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange and experimentation. Together with our cooperation partners in Connect Chile, we want to provide a space for intensive research at the intersection of art, science and technology,” explains Seraina Rohrer, head of Innovation & Society at Pro Helvetia.

The announcement of Connect Chile marks the fifth edition of Connect, which has included residencies at scientific organisations in South Africa and India. The Connect programme is a collaboration framework launched in 2021 by Arts at CERN and Pro Helvetia to serve as a platform for exchange between artistic and scientific communities across the world.

About the jury

The jury for Connect Chile was composed of Mónica Bello, Josefina González, Lucie Kolb, Enrique Rivera and Jennifer Teets.