Where science and art meet
The Center for Exotic Nuclear Studies received multiple works of art for display from a famous married couple of sculptors: Kwon Chi Gyu and Kim Kyoung Min, who are Director Hahn’s acquaintances. It was their gracious intent to contribute to the advancement of basic science in Korea through art.
Hahn believes that inspirations for creative research arise from an appropriate research environment, supplemented by a space for relaxation filled with cultural artifacts. Great works of art purify the mind of a researcher, providing an innovative solution to a mental logjam. Although science and art are separate disciplines, they are similar in many ways and can interact with one another. For instance, a field of physics known as acoustics is applied when designing concert halls for richer sounds, as well as wave analyses of tones from various instruments. Furthermore, physical research on the principles of light paved paths for new methods in visual arts and architecture. Leonardo da Vinci was an exemplary master of both fields, applying his observation skills in human and animal anatomy in order to bring life to his artworks.
Hahn notes that science and art are heavenly gifts that are exclusively for humans. Bees can form a geometrically precise honeycomb and a beaver will construct a great dam across streams of water, but such actions are borne out of instinct. Unlike humans, no other living organism spends time and effort on activities that are unessential for growth and survival. In contrast, humans have continuously sought the underlying principles of the natural world and life, while expressing their inner worlds through visual art and wonderful music to stir souls of others. Albert Einstein would play the violin when faced with a daunting logical obstacle, and later said that he received insight through music. Picasso was able to express 4D in his paintings, and Einstein’s theory on special relativity surfaced around the same era.
Another similarity between art and science is that both disciplines pursue beauty. Maxwells’ equations on classical electromagnetism are often described by physicists as “beautiful”, and the theory of relativity is also wonderful. It would be misguided to assume that scientists, especially physicists who are attuned to logic and numerical sophistication, cannot appreciate the beauty of nature and the emotional values contained in art. The donated artworks to CENS will remind Hahn and his group the fateful encounter of the two fields, and their promotion of great research ideas and results.
Link to the original column in Korean:
https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20210615029012
Center for Exotic Nuclear Studies