This art project was inspired by the book ‘The origin of Humanness in the Biology of Love’ by Humberto Maturana & Gerda Verden-Zöller. It was born as an attempt (and a wish) to create an artistic complement to this inspiring scientific work that focuses on the importance of love for our species. As my MFA thesis project in Queens College, 19 artists generously responded to my invitation to create or contribute artworks inspired by a compilation of ideas that were taken from the book. On a larger scale, this project can be considered an exploration on the intersections of art, science and education. By developing a framework for artists and people to engage with, my intentions are:
a) To extend the reach of this scientific work to new audiences.
b) Stimulate the creation of original and potentially pedagogical artworks, thus expanding the possibilities to include contemporary art practices in educational spaces such as schools, art centers and other artistic/communitary environments.
By the evolution and replication of this framework, I’m interested in further investigating the effectiveness of art as a contributing force for cultural changes. As the authors write:
“A cultural change occurs when the closed network of conversations that defines and conserves a culture changes.”
From here, a question arises:
Is it possible for art to promote cultural changes through its collaborative methods of practice that encourage participation, dialogue, reflection and learning?