Art invites itself into the laboratories of the UdeS

The Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS) and Sporobole have renewed their fruitful association, which began in 2014 to continue the work of bringing science and art together. This scientific and creative development program brings together people from the fields of pure science, humanities and technology. The agreement calls for the creation of three artist residencies over a three-year period with different UdeS research groups.

For Prof. Jocelyne Faucher, General Secretary and Vice-Rector for Student Life, this agreement is of special importance to UdeS: “The Université de Sherbrooke attaches great importance to the role of arts in society, and this partnership makes it possible to affirm their relevance in the scientific world. This association will therefore make it possible to forge promising links between scientists and artists, and between members of the university community.”

Named Interface: Art & science, this long-term residency program will allow researchers from all backgrounds to work in synergy in a unique context. Within the framework of this agreement, each artist in residence will be accompanied by a research team for a period of 12 months. Through this interdisciplinary initiative, Sporobole and Université de Sherbrooke allow a collaboration between the artistic and scientific worlds so that both maintain this mutually enriching dialogue.

Erin Gee will be the first immersion artist to arrive at the Institut quantique. Based in Montreal, she is known for new media artworks and electroacoustic music composition and her art is inspired by technology and emotions, for example creating music and moving machinery inspired by recordings of heart rate and anxiety.

“Through this initiative, Sporobole and Université de Sherbrooke wish to offer both artists and scientists, different contexts to reflect, research and create in, where often opposing ways of perceiving the world are brought together to create meaning and develop knowledge. It is an inspirational context conducive to the discovery of new avenues of research and above all, it is a space for creative freedom, which is a rare thing nowadays”, explained Éric Desmarais, General Manager and Co-Artistic Director of Sporobole

For Prof. Alexandre Blais, Scientific Director of Institut quantique (IQ), this project offers an opportunity to approach science from a different angle: “The principle that has guided us since the founding of IQ is to work at the crossroads of physics and engineering to promote the progress of research. This same principle is now guiding us to expand our collaborations to other disciplines, such as arts. This project with Sporobole artists will fuel reflections to explore new approaches, new ways of doing things, in addition to being a unique way to interest people in quantum.”

About Sporobole

Sporobole is an artists’ center that fuels artistic research and creation through the encounter of practices and fields of knowledge in the digital age. With its flexible, inclusive and collaborative approach, the center supports innovative projects and risk-taking at all stages of the artistic process, from concept development to dissemination, through research and production. The sound immersion studio, the print shop, the studio 0/1 – Hub numérique Estrie, the gallery space and the three residencies make the organization, located in the heart of downtown Sherbrooke, a hotbed of artistic research.