Artists Alan Bogana (Switzerland) and Nicole L’Huillier (Chile) are participating in the first edition of Simetría, an exchange residency spanning CERN and the Chilean astronomical observatories. Field Works presents material that comprises their explorations at CERN in a discussion facilitated by Mónica Bello, curator and head of Arts at CERN. A theme in Alan Bogana’s art work is the behaviour of light — real and speculative — and his residency research focuses on the conceptualisation and detection of dark matter. Observation is one of the motifs being explored by Nicole L’Huillier; she inquires into the ghostly natures of both infinitely small particles and large astronomical phenomena. The conversation will provide insights into the way artists gather and evaluate information and experiences during residencies. It will reveal how laboratories and observatories don’t only function as research spaces for scientists; they can also inspire artistic collaborations and innovations.

Simetría is a collaboration between Arts at CERN (https://arts.cern), ALMA (https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/home/), ESO (https://www.eso.org/public/) and the Chilean Corporation of Video and Electronic Arts (http://www.cchv.cl), made possible by support from the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia through its exchange programme COINCIDENCIA (https://coincidencia.net/en/supported-projects/simetria-alain-bogana-nicole-lhuillier/), and the Ministry for Culture, the Arts and Heritage, of Chile through its New Media Area.