Science, Art or Magic? (Upper primary)

Session with a visit to the exhibition and workshop activities

Educational objectives and activities
One of the key themes in Anicka Yi’s artistic research is the role played by microscopic and invisible entities at the level of the body and, more broadly, in an ecosystem. In particular, she focuses on the idea of symbiosis – the coexistence of organisms of different species – and she brings in edible elements and even cooking methods. For example, she uses the process of leavening, which transforms matter by means of bacteria, metaphorically representing the essential role played by non-human and non-visible organisms. Anicka Yi also explores intangible elements such as air, smells and microorganisms in order to highlight the fundamental structures of daily life. The presence and representation of microorganisms reveals the constant change of scale that is a feature of the artist’s vision: the microscopic size of bacteria is often transposed into the larger proportions of the animal and human kingdom.

During the visit, the students will explore the exhibition with the help of the arts tutors, who will show them how the artist has recreated her vision of the world. It is one in which the infinitely small (bacteria, spores and microorganisms) is made visible by synaesthetic works and by activating processes of transformation, such as leavening, that reveal their presence.

The workshop activities will focus on the idea that what cannot be seen by the naked eye is actually indispensable for life on this planet as well as on how all elements are ultimately interconnected.
The students, divided into groups, will carry out some brief experiments that will give them a personal experience of the creative process adopted by Anicka Yi, who makes use of the most modern scientific research when creating her art.

Focus areas

• Science
• Art and Image