Where art and science intersect
Large-scale marine animals, real and imagined, will fill the Mark & Tami Mallett Great Hall of the College of Science and Technology (CST) building from August 22 through September 1.
These colorful and whimsical sculptures are the idea and creations of Dr Suzette Mouchaty,
Auxiliary Lecturer in the Department of Natural Sciences, whose artistic practice blends the formal structures of rational scientific thought with the imaginary and subversive artistic domain.
Presented by CST, “Suzette Mouchaty: How to Talk to a Nudibranch (And a Few Other Things to Know)” is at the intersection of art and science, encouraging viewers to reflect on the natural world and to “re- imagining the future” as communities. come to terms with climate change.
The campus community is invited to the vernissage at 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 25. As part of UHD Welcome Week activities, Mouchaty will host short artist talks at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursday, August 25. A public reception and Artist’s Talk will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 27. Light refreshments will be served and parking is free for campus visitors.
“Art has no utilitarian function and the reasons for making art are as varied as the artists who make it,” Mouchaty said. “In contrast, science is a quest to understand how the material world works. Art is irrational and poetic, and it expands our perceptions; science is rational and 
logic, and it tests our perceptions. This space between the irrational and the rational, between art and science, is wide open for exploration, and the charismatic large-scale artwork in this exhibition takes a timid step in that direction. Through artwork and dialogue, I hope to inspire people to re-imagine the future as our societies grapple with the looming existential problem facing humanity today: climate change.
“Suzette Mouchaty: How to Talk to a Nudibranch (And a Few Other Things to Know)” is funded in part by CSE and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA). Earlier this year, Mouchaty generously received a $2,500 Let Creativity Happen grant from HAA. Illustrations courtesy of Mouchaty and Anya Tish Gallery.
Mouchaty obtained a Master of Fine Arts from the University School of Art in Interdisciplinary Practices and Emerging Forms and a Ph.D. in Genetics from Lund University in Sweden.
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