Re-Imagining the Future at THE INTERSECTION OF ART & SCIENCE

By Marie Jacinto

Dr. Suzette Mouchaty wants to change minds—beyond the classroom.

With an MFA from the University of Houston School of Art in Interdisciplinary Practices and Emerging Forms and a doctorate in Genetics from Sweden’s Lund University, Mouchaty is an artist and a lecturer in the Department of Natural Sciences. Her artistic practice blends formal structures of rational scientific thought with imaginary and subversive tenets from the artistic realm.

Late last summer, her large-scale marine animals—real and imagined—filled the Mark & Tami Mallett Grand Lobby of the College of Sciences and Technology (CST) building as part of her art installation, “Suzette Mouchaty: How to Talk to a Nudibranch (and some other things worth knowing).” Funded by the CST and the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, her colorful, whimsical nudibranch sculptures encouraged viewers to reflect on the natural world and re-imagine the future as communities come to terms with climate change.

“Art has no utilitarian function and the reasons for making art are as varied as the artists who make it,” said Mouchaty. “In contrast, science is a quest to understand how the material world works. Art is irrational and poetic, and it broadens our perceptions; science is rational and logical, and it tests our perceptions. This space between the irrational and the rational, between art and science, is wide open for exploration, and the large-scale, charismatic artwork in this exhibition took a tentative step in that direction.”

To continue the conversation, Mouchaty invited international contemporary artists whose works address climate change to join her for “The Art/ Science Nexus of Climate Change.” The virtual panel was hosted by CST and the O’Kane Gallery. Photographic artist and filmmaker Chris Jordan, Swiss multimedia artist Katja Loher, Australian artist and documentary filmmaker Dan Monceaux, and Houston-based interdisciplinary artist John G. Reed explored ideas, expectations, and aspirations for transformative artwork and art practices.

“Through artwork and dialogue,” concluded Mouchaty, “I hope to inspire people to re-imagine the future as our societies grapple with the looming existential issue facing humanity today—climate change.”