The Bridge: Experiments in Science & Art
a cross-disciplinary residency program
What is cross-disciplinary collaboration?
Collaboration between the arts and sciences is an increasingly popular notion, described as the solution to our 21st century problems. It is one of the many tangible ways in which art and science can productively interact. Collaborating can generate new ideas and provide new perspectives which can lead to innovation in existing fields or the creation of new ones. But what does collaboration mean? What does it look like, and how does it function? Is it possible to have a two-way collaborative street, or does that even matter? Can art influence science, as science often influences art? These are some of the many questions our program asks. The form, process, and results of each team’s collaboration are entirely up to them. "The Bridge" serves as the first documentation of the full and natural collaborative process between artists and scientists.
About "The Bridge"
"The Bridge" was a four-month long virtual residency program. Matched based on fitness from an open call application, each pair was comprised of professionals who are in the arts, the sciences, or both. Residents were required to keep a weekly blog on their activity and projects, documenting the collaborative process over time. In four months, residents accomplished as much as was natural to their synergy; some pairs end their work together at the conclusion of the residency, some pairs continued their work indefinitely. As a virtual residency program, collaborative potential is not limited by geography. Process and projects unfold physically where residents are located, and virtually online through resident's blogs.
