Science and art come together in an inspiring day at Naturalis. See small wonders through the microscope, play with large 3D prints, watch artists at work or listen to interesting scientific lectures. On October 30, everything is about the small creautures called foraminifera.
Foramini-what?
Foraminifera are unicellar organisms that make tiny little shells called 'tests'. There are uncountable billions of them: in some places, the entire beach is made up of dead forams! Scientists love them, because you can use them to learn more about the past, to detect pollution or to help you understand how coral reefs react to climate change.
Tiny worksof art
Forams also happen to be really beautiful, so they've been an inspiration to artist for centuries. During Foram Day , several modern artists show their work, and you can watch scientific illustrator Eva Corssmit at work. The foram on the right is her work, the artwork on the left is by Susana Mulas Lastra.
In the afternoon, from 14:15 to 15:00, the artists present their work (bilingual)
The program
During Foram Day, you can enjoy the art and watch through microscopes at any time. There are also lectures and interactive presentations ("spotlights"). The more scientific lectures are in English, the spotlights are in Dutch.
- 10:15 Kickoff and introduction of all speakers
- 10:30 - 11:00 "Calcification, shells and art" - Prof. dr. Lennart de Nooijer (English)
- 11:00 - 11:20 Spotlight: artists Susana Mulas Lastra and Suzette Bousema about the symbiosis between art and science (Dutch)
- 11:30 - 12:00 "Tropical ecosystems, indicators of water quality, and art" - Prof. dr. Willem Renema (English)
- 13:00 - 13:45 Panel Discussion (English) - Lennart de Nooijer, Bridget Wade, Suzette Bousema en Eva Corssmit. read more here
- 14:00 - 15:00 Artist presentations (bilingual)
- 15:00 - 15:20 Spotlight - Prof. Dr. Robert Speijer (Dutch)
15:30 Closing session and reflection
More information(and registration)
Foram Day is organized by Naturalis and Deep Ecology Network. It is free to enter and you don't need to register, but if you want to make sure you have a spot for the scientific lectures, you can register through their website.
Artwork on the left: Suzette Bousema.
