The relationship between art and science stretches far back into the past. So intertwined are they that the figures of artist and scientist have often overlapped during the course of history. Suffice to think of Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomical drawings: extraordinary pieces of art investigating the concealed workings of the human body. Time has brought the growth of specialisation in ‒ and therefore a distancing between ‒ the two figures. Yet still today ‒ or rather, especially today ‒ art remains a precious ally for conveying science.
In fact, differently to what was once common practice, the scientific community is now regularly called on for discussion and exchange with various sectors of society, and science has even joined public and political debate. As such, art can stand as a powerful vehicle for spreading scientific learning and for stimulating reflection on the role of this knowledge, converting technical and specialist information into an emotion that can be perceived by all ‒ thus helping people make informed choices and adopt eco-friendly behaviour.
Risk mitigation and civil protection, which have always been at the heart of the CIMA Research Foundation work, are based on highly technical models, algorithms and analysis. Yet their implications directly affect our well-being and safety, and sit close to all. This is why the crossover between art and science becomes one of the most important paths for us to explore in taking these issues outside of the long-standing ‘ivory tower’ of science.
Part of the CIMA Research Foundation collection, the works brought together on this website narrate some of the greatest challenges that humanity is called on to tackle today: drought, flooding, wildfires, pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss. They speak, through images, of events that we have had to face in the past and that we will also be faced with in future. These pictures show our planet’s wealth, urging us to reflect on our role in the complex dynamics governing it.
Nonetheless, primarily the new generations will be called to lead the way in these challenges. CIMA Research Foundation has therefore always aimed, since it was first established, to address them too: it provides a broad selection of projects and activities tailored to the younger generations, offering workshops and interactive experiences to involve them and heighten awareness.
