Making the invisible visible : exploring the microalgal world through the lens of art

Many artists and scientists want to address important issues on environment, climate change and biodiversity to the public. Though they each use very different media to communicate this. This article describes the process of a collaboration between science and art with as aim to convey important scientific topics to a broader audience. This paper illustrates the various stages of the project, including the initial engagement and knowledge exchange and methods used during the collaboration process and how the artwork is disseminated. It discusses how collaborations can have positive impacts on people’s understanding of science and their perception of art. Microalgae play a crucial role in marine ecosystems, though they are generally unseen due to their microscopic size. The collaboration’s theme, ‘Making the Invisible Visible’ highlights the ecological importance of microalgae through art and aims to bring awareness to the often-overlooked microscopic world. The collaboration resulted in the creation of a steel spiral headdress, etched with microalgae images, accompanied by photographs and drone footage of the scientist wearing the headdress in the marine environment. The headdress and the visual documentation show the intricate and varied forms of microalgae in an eye-catching manner. To reach a diverse audience, the art process and resulting artworks were disseminated through the online UHI Festival of Creativity and exhibited at the Society of Scottish Artists exhibition ‘Ulaidhean/Treasures’ at Gairloch Museum. The headdress, accompanying photographs and supporting information will continue to be exhibited through social media and at various locations throughout Scotland, demonstrating how merging art and science can highlight ecological issues in new ways that are accessible to a wider audience.