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How art and science connect with and inspire each other is the theme of the new exhibition on campus, “STEAM”, which stands for “Science-Technology-Engineering-Art-Math”. The exhibition showcases the works of nine students and recent graduates of the Academy of Visual Arts (AVA), who have used a range of different mediums to create artworks that are related to scientific images, ideas, and the process of experimentation.

The exhibition invites visitors to explore the relationship between art and science, and gain a deeper understanding of how creativity can bridge the two worlds. The event also features over 50 new titles on Art & Science books in the University’s library collection, and a series of quotes from famous artists and scientists on the profound connections between the two disciplines.

Dr Michael Whittle, Research Assistant Professor of AVA, curated the exhibition. “The collection brings together artworks created in a variety of mediums, including sculptures, paintings, kinetic and digital works. The featured works explore art and science from very different perspectives,” he says.

Venus Chau created a sound installation using wires to depict the network of arteries and veins while preserving the memories of her loved ones. “Some of the closest people in my life have left Hong Kong over the past few years, and this presents a great change. The speakers of the installation play the sound of their heartbeats which were recorded when we talked about our childhood memories. This speaks of the close and deep relationship that can only be expressed beyond words,” she says.

In a series of experimental concrete sculptures, Andy Ho explored the idea of ‘Body’ and the biochemical process of metabolism. He says: “The concrete plugs represent connectivity, and each plug can be seen as a building, a human body, or a cell. When you look at the networks of cities and buildings, they are not unlike our biological metabolic systems. The body, in this interpretation, is a system of connection.”