In/visible: the inside story of the making of Arts at CERN

Abstract

This is a personal account of the setting up and first five years of CERN's first institutionalized arts programme, in which artists from different art forms were invited to engage with scientists with no requirements for any outputs. The focus instead was on the creative process, the exchanges between the artists and scientists and their shared knowledge-making. Paradoxically, given this freedom, even by the end of the initial phase of the programme they had produced a range of artworks and performances, some of which were to go on to attract international acclaim. The paper identifies some of the key issues and challenges faced when undertaking an arts programme within a science institution. These issues are rarely openly discussed and written about, yet they are vital for shared cultural learning in this rapidly evolving and increasingly popular field.