These scientific advances require a prepared society and, in this sense, the dissemination and communication of science play a decisive role.“We need tools to help us meet the challenge of the research institutes to make our scientific activity understandable,” says Josep Samitier, director of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC). “For IBEC, these actions help to contribute to the democratization of scientific knowledge. The “Creative Talent and Business” program helps us bring science closer to other actors” he adds.
The “Creative Talent and Business” program, promoted by the education department of the Catalan Government, offers the possibility of collaboration between artistic and visual arts studies with an institution to encourage the realization of projects so that Plastic Arts and Design students have the chance to integrate their knowledge in a real work environment.
Within this program, IBEC proposed the task of conceiving and designing a character that would humanize its brand and respond to its values with the aim of increasing the communication potential of the Institute. A total of 5 art and design schools from all over Catalonia took part in the challenge, and of the 24 initial proposals, 12 reached the second phase. After intense deliberation by a 10-member jury, it was decided award two proposals.
The two winning students of the challenge are Elena Portella from the Manresa School of Art and Marta Martínez from the Reus School of Art. One of these two proposals will become a project that will be soon implemented at IBEC. It has also been decided to make a special mention of the best animated gift for the student Lluna Ochoa and the comic vignette for the student Irene López, both from the “Institut d’Art Illa” in Sabadell.
IBEC, which is the first research center to take part in this program, thanks to this very special character, plans to expand the range of science outreach activities. “We are very happy with how this first collaboration has developed and we want to continue working on new art and science projects. Participating in these initiatives helps promoting the young artistic talent in Catalonia while developing useful tools for disseminating science “, comments Pilar Jiménez, coordinator of outreach activities at IBEC. “We intend to renew our participation annually by presenting a different challenge for each academic year,” she concludes.
IBEC is an international center dedicated to cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, with which it contributes to improving health and quality of life while generating wealth, through the creation of knowledge.
