15-23 March 2014
MHS Librarian Jennifer Howard explores the art and science of Albrecht Dürer on Sunday 16 March.
Coming up at the Oxford University Museums is a set of events and activities during National Science and Engineering Week and the Oxfordshire Science Festival all exploring science and the arts. It’s called Reactions and is being hosted across all four museums – here, at the Ashmolean, the Museum of Natural History, and the Pitt Rivers Museum.
Running over a whole week, from 15-23 March, the fourteen events in the Reactions programme all address or reflect the connections, opportunities or perceived tensions between science and the arts, some directly, others gently. There’s something for everyone across the week, from lectures to workshops, to dance and filmmaking.
Here at the Museum of the History of Science sound artist Ray Lee will talk about his fascination with the hidden world of electromagnetic radiation and sound waves, demonstrating the science and philosophy behind his unique installations and strange instruments, and our librarian Jennifer Howard takes a look at why Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer is of interest to artists and scientists alike.
Ray Lee with his sonaesthetic oscillethergraph. Ray is talking at the MHS on Wednesday 19 March.
There’s also a talk on mathematics and art by Professor Marcus du Sautoy at the Museum of Natural History, and a science of pollination dance workshop for children by Siobhan Davies Dance at the Ashmolean.
There are family events too – Crystals Day here and the Wow! How? science fair at the Museum of Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museum, both suitable for adults and children.
The full programme lists everything else that is going on and gives links to booking pages for any bookable events. Hopefully you’ll find a few interesting and perhaps thought-provoking things to see and do during the week.