TRANSMEET Art and Science Festival

The second edition of the TRANSMEET Art & Science Festival, which was scheduled to take place in mid-October 2023, was canceled due to the difficult and painful circumstances that have been with us since then. The upcoming festival intended to emphasize that art has the power to heal and instill hope, especially when it joins forces with science. The festival will offer, even if just for a moment, a sense of horizon, highlighting the significant and diverse work that is taking place both in Israel and around the world.

                             Sparks Will Fly / Photo by סביון שנהר

During the three days of the festival, you will be able to experience a rich and intriguing program that appeals to the general public, including children and families, as well as to artists and scientists alike.

TRANSMEET is part of the international L.A.S.E.R. (Leonardo Art & Science Rendezvous) program of gatherings that bring artists, scientists, and scholars together for informal presentations and conversations in over 50 cities worldwide. The first festival took place in 2020 in an online format due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. That year, the festival attracted around 2,000 viewers.

Notably, the festival's curators represent both the world of science and the world of art: Tal Yizrael – an artist and curator; Sharona Florsheim – a choreographer and artistic director; Professor Tomer Volanski–a theoretical physicist specializing in particle theory; and Dr. Deborah (Didi) Marchak – Head of the National Centre for Chemistry Teachers at the Weizmann Institute.

The organizers hope that despite the challenging reality, the second festival will still take place. They believe that art has the power to heal and instill hope, especially when combined with science.

                              NanoTones / Photo by אילן גרין

On Thursday and Friday, September 19–20, the festival offers substantial events for adults, while on Saturday, September 21, there will be performances for the whole family, accompanied by a scientific overture adapted for young audiences. Notably, the festival will feature four dance and music premieres. One of them is a collaboration between dancer Nitzan Lederman and Professor Galit Shohat Ofir, a neurobiologist from Bar-Ilan University, called "Sparks Will Fly"; the choreography is based on the laboratory's coded fly movements. Another is a joint musical performance by Prof. Lee Koren from the Faculty of Life Sciences and Prof. Shai Cohen from the Faculty of Music at Bar Ilan University "Improbable Melodies" – A Study of the Rock Hyrax's Vocalizations in Musical Improvisation. A third is "Nano Tones: The sounds of Cells" – a collaboration between Dr. Moran Dvela-Levitt from the Faculty of Life Sciences and musician Ilan Green. These three projects were developed at the incubator of the NANO – the Fetter Museum of Art and Nanoscience at Bar-Ilan University. The fourth premiere is a light and music performance "Arkhé", the result of collaboration with Hazira, Jerusalem.

On Thursday, after each performance, there will be a discussion with the participating artists and scientists, allowing a deeper exploration of the creative process. Additionally, there will be two lecture sessions featuring leading scientists from the Academy of Sciences, and visitors will have the opportunity to observe the Sun, Moon, and Saturn through a telescope on the museum's balcony, guided by the Astronomy Club of Tel Aviv University. On Friday, viewers are invited to unique workshops (pre-registration required), combining scientific knowledge and experimental experience, co-led by artist and scientist Professor Atan Gross from the Weizmann Institute of Science and dancer Michael Shachrur. A journy of discovery of the posibilities of free movement and deep presence in our body is called "The wonder of Life in the Body – Moving from the Mitochondria." Visitors can also enjoy the process of creating an analog synthesizer with artists Amir Meir and Gidon Levy.

At the same time, there will be international lectures by Victoria Vesna, head of the Center for Art and Science at UCLA University in California, followed by a lecture by Dr. Daniel Glaser from Great Britain who will also lead a Meetup for scientists and artists (the meeting will be held in English). The meeting will allow both experts and inexperienced people to share their plans and aspirations their future regarding interdisciplinary collaborations (participation in the meeting requires prior registration and is subject to participation approval).

                 Stretching the Limits / Photo by מיכאל עמר

The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History invites you to meet leading scientists, artists, and curators from Israel and around the world, who work together to realize the fascinating potential that lies in the connection between science and art; to hear about creativity in various fields of knowledge and the challenges in creating a common language and new knowledge; to be part of the conversation and learn up close about surprising collaborations that combine knowledge, inspiration, and resources, working towards a more responsible and cooperative tomorrow.

TRANSMEET Art & Science Festival will be held 19-21 September at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv.