Jo Milne has a PhD in Fine Art from the Universitat de Barcelona and an MA in Printmaking from the The London Institute and an MA in Fine Art from Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art. She currently combines her artistic practice with her work as a researcher and lecturer at EINA (Centre Universitari de Disseny i Art de Barcelona).
“A specific element in my artistic practice investigates the underlying structures of codes, languages, communication and materials. In previous projects, I have considered the visual resonance of different forms of sequencing, such as the musical scrolls of Pianola’s and fractal structures, in different forms of artistic representation, and more recently theoretical speculations in the field of contemporary physics. These representations juxtaposed the digital with the material, fusing the precision of binary codes with the physical properties of paint. My research is currently focussed on developing new ways to respond to the microcellular landscape".
The research into visualisation practices for my doctoral thesis “Invisible Structures”, presented at the Universitat de Barcelona in 2016, considered the methods and methodologies used by scientists and artists to visualise what can’t be seen by the naked eye. These were translated into a series of paintings and installations that responded specifically to cosmological propositions associated with string theory explored in current theoretical physics.
This research also highlighted the need for a practical or hands-on methodology in my search to understand the processes or methodologies employed in scientific research. As a result, I collaborated with groups of scientists at the Faculty of Chemistry (University of Barcelona) and the Department of Life Sciences (University of Dundee) and with computer programmers at the Citilab Citizen’s Laboratory in Cornellà. The resulting dialogues raised questions regarding our fields of knowledge and created an exchange of knowledge and know-how. These collaborations evidenced the possibilities of thinking through doing and at the same time enabled me to begin to penetrate the semiotics specific to each ambit.”
Last 26 October, Jo Milne gave an open seminar at IRB Barcelona entitled "Contingent contagion and visualizing the invisible", which in the end had a fruitful discussion with some members of the IRB Barcelona community, including former artists-in-residence. Enjoy it!
About the Artist in Residence programme
Art and scientific research have several things in common. Artists and researchers investigate the nature of our presence in the world, push boundaries in knowledge and technology, and venture into the unexplored. The questions our researchers study naturally provide inspiration for artistic inquiry, which in turn can offer a fresh perspective of the scientific endeavour. Both disciplines require creativity, curiosity, and imagination, combined with scrutiny, technique and determination.
IRB Barcelona's Artist in Residency Programme aims to connect artists with an interest in interdisciplinary science with the wide range of research, scientists, data and infrastructure available at the Institute. It provides a unique opportunity for artists to immerse themselves in the IRB Barcelona community for a free exchange of ideas and to explore, learn, and form relationships with our scientists and stakeholders. The programme seeks to provide time and space for reflection and inspiration for artists and scientists alike.
More about the programme here: https://www.irbbarcelona.org/
Address any enquiries to art@irbbarcelona.org.
