MAX Interrogates Scientific Advances Through Art

How collaborations between scientists and artists are yielding groundbreaking, moving new works.

Some of the most exciting interactions happen between people from seemingly disparate backgrounds. This is a core belief of Media Art Exploration (MAX), an organization dedicated to fostering collaborations between scientists and artists to design and incubate projects that invoke wonder and contemplation for diverse sets of audiences. Kay Matschullat, founding artistic director of MAX, has always been interested in how collaborations between scientists and artists can be used to engage the public, leaving them curious about the world around them. One of the ways Matschullat and MAX do this is with MAXlive, a biennial festival that examines the intersection of scientific innovation and art. In 2021, MAXlive hosted The Neuroverse in New York City, which explored neuroscience, artificial intelligence and the human-smart machine interface. By bringing diverse practitioners together, MAX has produced installations and performances that further the mission of engaging the public with art, science and technology.

In this video, Matschullat explains the importance of relationship building between scientists, technologists and humanists. She invites us to step into The Neuroverse to discover what it really means to be human in the age of technology.

MAX joined the Science Sandbox community of awardees in 2020.

The Stories of Impact series highlights the real-world influences of Science Sandbox projects through personal narratives, videos and interviews. Discover more stories here.