Street art is visual art in public spaces — public art — created for public visibility. Street art addresses a huge and highly diverse audience: everyone in a city. In this public symposium, we will discuss to what extent science-inspired street art can be considered a means of science communication, what strategies street artists use to communicate their ideas through large-scale murals, and how street art can be understood as a vehicle for creative grassroots environmental communication.
Street art is unique in that it is both a producer of public knowledge and a participant within the environmental discourse, as it represents knowledge of environment but also reflects the public’s perception of this knowledge. Together with exciting guest speakers, we will introduce you to ANU’s multifaceted and innovative research and learning activities at the intersections of street art and science communication, and also celebrate the launch of the street art episode of ANU’s “Sci_Burst” podcast – a podcast that explores the cultural power of science!
Speakers include Canberra artist Byrd, artist Faith Kerehona, Blake Thompson, Isabel Richards and Ella McCarthy from the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS) and guests. The event will be introduced and moderated by Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens (CPAS).
Speaker details:
Byrd is a freelance graffiti muralist and sculptor, whose primary interest is that small space between the human condition and the places occupied by humans. Starting out working in public spaces over 20 years ago, he balances his time between commissioned works, public gifts and his studio/exhibition practice.
Faith Kerehona is a Community Artist who investigates how art can empower and uplift diverse communities by creating murals that are owned, situated in and influenced by people. Her work places emphasis on community consultation, participation, and accessibility and invites communities to engage with social issues that concern them; utilising public platforms and space to spread important messages. Experience and studies in social work, sociology and visual arts place her at an intersection between social theory and arts practice with the ultimate goal of building community resilience and connection.
Blake Thompson’s passion lies in discovering how science connects with everything in the world, and he explores this through his studies in Science Communication, Chemistry, Japanese/Asian Studies, and Media. At the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS) of the Australian National University, Blake’s current research is focusing on street art and how it acts as a vehicle for communication about our environment.
Isabel Richards is a science communication graduate and research officer at the Australian National University’s School of Cybernetics. She studies science in popular fiction, the cultural meanings of science and the relationships between humans, the environment and emerging technologies. Isabel is co-host of Sci_Burst, a science communication podcast about science, popular culture and entertainment.
Ella McCarthy recently graduated with a double Bachelor of Arts/Science with majors in Science Communication, Biological Anthropology, English and Digital Humanities. She co-Hosts the podcast Sci_Burst, with her Science Communication bestie Isabel. Sci_Burst is your audio destination for all things science, popular culture, and entertainment!
Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens is a Lecturer in Popular Entertainment Studies at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science and the Head of the Popsicule – ANU’s Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub. Her research explores the cultural meanings of science.
