IMMORTAL MOTORS & CELESTIAL BODIES : Organised by Institute of Science and Technology Austria Artist Residency Exhibition

For three months, the artists Maximilian Prüfer (GER) and Julia Carrillo (MEX) joined the scientific community of ISTA (Institute of Science and Technology Austria) in order to gain comprehensive insights into it’s diverse laboratories and research fields. For their final showcase, they exhibit a selection of the resulting exchanges in the form of artworks that tell fantastic stories ranging from nanofabricated “insects” to delicate prints of stars’ light spectra.

 

 

The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) is once again opening its doors: Bringing together Art, Science, Design and Technology, we are hoping to foster continuous exchanges and collaborations with our researchers that make science more accessible. 

 

At the core, we are aiming to create new spaces for engaging conversations on how the forefronts of science and technology will influence the way we as a society live and how we understand the worlds around us. 

Science is a fundamentally creative process, just as creative practices are in many ways analytical, experimental and inquisitive. The most surprising aspects are the similarities between our fields – the curiosity, the personalities involved, the passions as well as the communities and alliances researchers and creatives build, to inquire about the 

nature of things. 

 

There might be different approaches and toolsets in use, but in many ways, we are asking similar questions: 

 

 

 

 

Maximilian Prüfer 

 

Known for his innovative and awe-inspiring works, Maximilian Prüfer (*1986) is characterized best through his deep interest in nature and it’s workings. Prüfer develops and uses delicate techniques to capture even the most subtle actions and details. 

 

His catalogue spans from experimental printmaking and sculptures, all the way to the transfer and re-utilization of materiality found in animal and plant realms. Prüfer’s works are frequently shown internationally, gaining appreciation for his thoughtful and sensitive approach towards environmental topics, his great dexterity and the occasional implied co-authorship with another species. 

During his stay at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, he acclimated some of his techniques to laboratory environments and experimented with new fabrication methods and natural fibers that could function as motors for miniature sculptures inspried by insects. 

 

 

 

Julia Carrillo 

 

Natural phenomena, observations and the extension of human perception: Julia Carrillo (*1987) is a multidisciplinary artist with a background in mathematics and a deep fascination for the cosmos. Carrillo works within various mediums, including sculptures, installations, performances and architecture – each one of her pieces reveals glimpses of 

the invisible structures of the universe. 

 

Her work has been shown across galleries and museums in Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, the United States and Europe and are appreciated for the site-specific dialogues they
span between light and the environment. During her time at the Institute of Science and Technology, she collaborated with Astrophysicists and Earth Scientists, exploring the multiple ways we observe celestial bodies from earth and document their properties and behavior. 

 

 

Initiator: Vice President Gaia Novarino 

Curator: Mia Meus
Poster Design: Mia Meus & Stephanie Kneissl 

Production: Florian Semlitsch