We are pleased to announce the two awards for the «Simetría» residency taking place in 2021. The recipients are Chloé Delarue, a Swiss artist based in Geneva, and Patricia Domínguez, a Chilean artist, based in Santiago. They will both complete a joint residency of up to three weeks between two locations — CERN in Geneva and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) astronomy facilities in Chile: Paranal Observatory in Antofagasta, and ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimetre Array), in which ESO is a partner together with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

«Simetría» is an artistic residency award created to foster dialogue between art and fundamental science, as well as the interdisciplinary exchange between artists and scientists working or living in Switzerland and Chile. One artist from each of the two countries is invited for a dual residency, to research and explore new expressions in connection with fundamental science. The first exchange residency took place in 2019 with the Swiss artist Alan Bogana and the Chilean artist Nicole L’Huillier.

Both Switzerland and Chile are home to some of the most singular scientific instruments in the world dedicated to understanding the origins and the evolution of the universe. During their residencies, the artists will explore the scientific sites pending the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, their extraordinary locations, and scale – both laboratories and observatories — to explore new expressions in their artistic practices, and to further develop them as art productions. In this unique exploratory residency, the artists will collaborate with and receive support from the scientists and engineers, as well as the staff of the host research facilities.

Bios

Born in Switzerland in 1986, Chloé Delarue produces installations (sculpture, video, and sound) under the TAFAA acronym for Toward A Fully Automated Appearance, a combination of several installations, that the artist calls “environments”. These environments are elements of the re-composition of a more or less abstract body. Once these elements overlap, they create a sort of spectrum, material, and immaterial flow of information. After a first MAMA degree in 2012 from Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Art – Villa Arson in Nice, she continued her studies at HEAD-Genève in the Fine Arts Master in 2014.

Patricia Domínguez, born in Chile in 1984, focuses on tracing relationships of work, affection, obligation, and emancipation among living species in an increasingly corporate cosmos. Her studies include a Master’s degree in Studio Art from Hunter College, New York (2013), and a Certificate in Botanical Illustration and Natural Sciences from the New York Botanical Garden NYBG (2011). She is currently the director of the ethnobotanical platform Studio Vegetalista.

«Simetría» is organized by Arts at CERN in Geneva and by Corporación Chilena de Video y Artes Electrónicas (CChV) in Chile. Arts at CERN is supported by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia as part of «Coincidencia” Swiss – South American cultural exchange». «Simetría» in Chile is supported by ALMA and ESO, the Ministry of Culture, the Arts and Heritage, and the UNESCO.