Trafficking | Transmission | Translation: Exploring Embodiment as a Mode of Knowledge Construction in Science Art Installations

Abstract

Science art practices are often framed as science communication in a manner that overlooks the capacity of the arts to provide engagement opportunities beyond discourse. The authors perform a thematic analysis of audience interviews from scientific media art installations that depict complex, intangible, invisible, and ephemeral scientific phenomena, specifically focusing on medical nanotechnology. The analysis reveals that visitors recognize sensorial experiences beyond traditional science communication, while scientists’ experiences expanded their definition of engagement. The authors argue that scientific media art practices act as sites of meaning-making and non-discursive engagement that create reflective and embodied contexts for encounters with emerging technologies.