New Open Interval Cohort Will Explore Symmetry Through Art and Science

In art, as in science, practitioners advance frontiers and explore new ways of thinking about the universe. The Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division has a growing history of cultivating experiments that bring artists and scientists together. Our latest program, Open Interval, provides support for seven months of unbound exploration between a team of three — an artist, a scientist and a producing partner from a host arts organization.

Last December, we launched a call for applications around the theme of “symmetry,” a longstanding source of study and inspiration in both art and science. After a comprehensive review process, we are pleased to announce our awardees.

These 15 trios have an expansive range of practices and backgrounds from throughout the United States. Artists in this cohort reflect a broad spectrum of craft, including performance, sound art, sculpture, social practice and media art. Participating scientists span the fields of mathematics, neuroscience, astrophysics, traditional ecological knowledge and biology. The producing partners hosting these collaborations are adventurous curators, artistic directors and arts leaders from institutions as varied as the artworks they produce and present.

The trios were selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants based on their unique contributions to their respective fields, their authentic interest in collaborating across disciplines and their passionate engagement with symmetry.

We look forward to learning alongside these collaborators as they delve into intriguing research questions through the lens of art and symmetry, with topics as diverse as exoplanets as the settings for speculative trap music operas and how sleep can foster cultural healing. Collaborations will tackle scientific areas from the very small, such as the molecules in our bodies, to the very large, such as the birth and deaths of stars.

Mia Imani
Spiritual technologist and speculative architect

Gina Poe
Director, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles

Danielle A. Hill
Exhibition manager, Armory Center for the Arts

 
Anahita (Ani) Bradberry
Sculptor and installation artist

Christopher M. Johns-Krull
Professor of physics and astronomy, Rice University

Xandra Eden
Executive director, DiverseWorks

 
Sage Ni’Ja Whitson
Transdisciplinary artist, medicine worker, spiritual and experimental Black technologist

Jessie Christiansen
Chief scientist, NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Caltech IPAC

Stacy Switzer
Co-founder, curator and executive director, Fathomers

 
Annie Dorsen
Director and writer

Teresa Huang
Research fellow, Center for Computational Mathematics, Flatiron Institute

Gideon Lester
Artistic director and chief executive, Fisher Center at Bard

 
Marcos Lutyens
Multidisciplinary artist

Rana X Adhikari
Professor of experimental physics, Caltech

Robert Takahashi Novak
Executive and artistic director, Fulcrum Arts

 
Jiabao Li
Artist; assistant professor, University of Texas at Austin

Fumiko Futamura
Professor and John H. Duncan chair of mathematics, Southwestern University

Ron Berry
Founder and co-artistic director, Fusebox

 
Susan Scafati
Visual artist working across installation, photography and sculpture; advisory board member, Visual Art Center Circle, the University of Texas at Austin

Stella Offner
Director, NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins, associate professor, University of Texas at Austin

Bobby Garza
Chief program officer, The Long Center

 
Rhonda Holberton
Multimedia artist; associate professor of digital media, San José State University

Ying Choon Wu
Research scientist, Institute for Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego

Ceci Moss
Director and chief curator, Mandeville Art Gallery, University of California, San Diego; professor of practice in visual arts, University of California, San Diego

 
Ain Gordon
Writer, director and actor

Amy Secunda
Research fellow, Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute

Janet Wong
Associate artistic director, New York Live Arts

 
Meech Boakye
Artist and researcher

Kyle Ormsby
Chair of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Reed College

Kristan Kennedy
Artistic director and curator of visual art, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

 
Anna Scime
Artist

Neil Patterson Jr.
Executive director, Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Ekrem Serdar
Curator, Squeaky Wheel

 
Paul Vanouse
Biomedia artist

Jennifer Surtees
Professor of biochemistry, University at Buffalo

Dan Shanahan
Co-founder and artistic director, Torn Space Theater

 
Tunde Olaniran
Artist

Sara Adlerstein-Gonzalez
Research scientist and lecturer, School for the Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan

Cayenne Harris
Vice president of learning and engagement, University Musical Society

 
Marina Zurkow
Multimedia artist

Becca Franks
Assistant professor of environmental studies, WATR-lab director and Wild Animal Welfare Program co-director, New York University

Galen Joseph-Hunter
Executive director, Wave Farm

 
Rucyl Mills
Sound artist

Christopher Lirakis
Researcher, IBM Quantum Computing

Kaneza Schaal
Curator and artist, The Collective Practice

We thank our selection committee, whose efforts made this cohort selection possible:

Salome Asega
Director, NEW INC, New Museum of Contemporary Art

Stanlyn Brevé
Director of national programs, National Performance Network

Vic Brooks
Independent curator

Robert Gower
Research scientist, Center for Computational Mathematics, Flatiron Institute

Sonya Hanson
Research scientist, Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute

Max Isi
Research fellow, Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute

Zach Kaplan
Public programs, Getty Foundation

Bora Kim
Artistic director, Artadia

Andrew Kircher
Director of public humanities and research, Bard Graduate Center

Kay Matschullat
Producing director, Media Art Xploration

Amin Nejatbakhsh
Guest researcher, Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron Institute

Liz Slagus
Director of culture, communications and special projects, FEED Media Art Center

Laura Splan
Interdisciplinary artist

Phillip Edward Spradley
Cultural producer

Lumi Tan
Independent curator