Artist In Residence : Andy Charalambous
Andy Charalambous
is the HEP group's Artist in Residence and joins
Katie Paterson in the department who has the same role for the Astrophysics Group
last year.
Andy is a London based artist who works in digital video, sculpture,
installation and intervention. His work is principally conceptual and
often process driven. Much of his practice is inspired by science. He
takes a single idea or scientific concept to produce work that
communicates by creating an intuitive emotional response, but triggers
a curiosity to consider deeper meaning and understanding of the
science. His video "Carbon"
records him creating a wooden effigy of
himself, which he sets on fire. This burns until only the ash
remains. A later work is the installation "Neutrino". This examines
the size and randomness of the neutrino.
"I spent many years working in a scientific research environment,
where there is considerable formality and need for precision in the
communication of facts and ideas. During this time I realised that
communicating in such a controlled and extensively detailed way was
very exclusive. Many people are turned off by the volume and depth of
information. Art, in contrast, has the ability to communicate
instinctively, much more efficiently, and to a broader audience."
Andy worked for the Physics and Astronomy department for many years running the engineering design office, which
developed instrumentation for the HEP and Astrophysics groups. Since
leaving UCL employment in 2005 he has been working as an artist and
has been keen to work in ways that bring together art and science. In
2005 he organised an international project where 17 artists spent a
week at CERN and then produced work that was exhibited in London and
Geneva as part of the CERN 50th anniversary celebrations. In 2009, as
part of the International Year of Astronomy, he introduced three
established artists to concepts in astronomy and their work was
exhibited in London. He also arranged at UCL an evening panel
discussion on the benefits of art to science.
Copyright © 2004-2011 UCL HEP group, (last modified 18 Oct 2011)
