Science and Art

9e2 Seattle: Synaptic Lexicon, curated by John Boylan and Ellen Ziegler, King Street Station, Seattle

In the act of perceiving our surroundings, we forge a link between our inner and outer worlds. Artists work is this interface - between the physiology of peception and the exterior world we engage with.

“Synaptic Lexicon” refers to a compendium (lexicon) of ideas and insights, resulting in this artistic investigation showing at 9e2. It offers nine visual artists’ insight into and collaborations with newly emerging scientific principles - in neuroscience, cultural biology, dark matter astrophysics, and mathematics.

Dark matter researcher James Sloan, neuroscientists Thomas Deuel and Siddharth Ramakrishnan, Developmental Biologist Jason Berndt, and mathematicians Ken Brakke, Jadayev Athrea, and Henry Segerman contributed input to the group. Individual artists also connected with other scientists. Thanks to British neuroscientist Moheb Costandi, author of 50 Human Brian Ideas You Really Need to Know; we used this as our textbook when we began our work. Emily Zimmerman, who was at the time, the Associate Curator of Programs at the Henry Art Gallery and member of the 9e2 team served in an invaluable advisory role.

The installation Synaptic Lexicon at 9e2 featured was curated by Ellen Ziegler and included works by: Nola Avienne, Gala Bent, Jazz Brown, Romson Bustillo, Sue Danielson, Bradly Gunn, Timea Tihanyi, Ellen Ziegler, and Susan Zoccola.