2026 SPE Annual Conference: Catalyst for Exchange
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Observations in Scientific Collaboration
Saturday, October 11 - 10:00AM to 10:45AM
IPE Building
Collaboration takes many forms. A conceptual collaboration respects both practices, yet can be complicated in its navigation. For artists working alongside scientists, there is both an obligation to critique and a responsibility to honor the work being done. Through a land-conscious approach to making, Austin Cullen and Joshua Mokry confront the challenges and possibilities of research-based artistic practice.
Mokry's work focuses on caving ecosystems, spotlighting humanity's fragile and often destructive relationship with these hidden environments. As both photographer and restorationist, he reflects on the deep implications of human interference in nonhuman spaces. Cullen examines the history of natural display within museums and zoology labs, tracing shifting practices that shape both research and public experience.
Together, their work highlights the complicated but generative relationships between art and science. By documenting, questioning, and engaging with scientific practice, they invite us to consider how creative observation can reveal unseen dynamics while fostering dialogue across disciplines. This session will explore not only their distinct projects, but also the broader stakes of artistic collaboration with science—where critique, care, and curiosity intersect.
speakers
Austin Cullen
Joshua Mokry
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