A new director for Arts@CERN
On 2 March 2015, Mónica Bello will take the reins of the Arts@CERN programme. A few days before taking over the new job, the curator and art critic talked to the CERN Bulletin about her interest in arts and science, her motivations for the job, and her plans for the future of the programme.
Mónica Bello.“The exciting nature of CERN almost demands an artistic programme like Arts@CERN,” says Mónica, former artistic director of VIDA (one of the most important competitions in digital and new media arts worldwide), who has recently been appointed as the new director of the Arts@CERN programme. “The programme is unique as it provides the artist not only with resources, but also with interesting scientific topics and a natural way for the artists to become involved. Thanks to this programme, artists can come to CERN, bring their individuality, and really benefit from the sharing experience with scientists.”
Mónica, from Spain, will take over her new position on 2 March. An art historian by education, Mónica became interested in the fusion of art and science 10 years ago. “This job is a unique opportunity for me to develop my expertise and to evolve as a professional,” says Mónica. “I can contribute to the programme with my understanding of how art and science work together, the processes involved. But it’s also going to be a great learning experience for me due to the unique creative nature of CERN.”
Arts@CERN was launched by its former director, Ariane Koek, in 2011, starting with the flagship Collide@CERN artists residency programme and the Visiting Artists programme, which were later followed by Accelerate@CERN, a country-specific one-month research award for artists who have never spent time in a science laboratory before. “Arts@CERN relies on strong cooperation with artists worldwide,” comments Mónica. “The vision behind that was really good and I want to pursue that. I also want the programme to be a real presence in the local area, showing artists that CERN can be a resource and a source of inspiration for them. I will also try to expand the Accelerate@CERN international network.”
“I like art that is based on open processes, where different agents – the artists, researchers, even the audience – can join together to become the project. Experimentation with openness is the most exciting thing that’s happening in the arts right now – and CERN is the place to be for that,” concludes Mónica.
