Minisymposium

Effectively communicating the results and impact of any piece of scientific research presents a significant challenge. Multiple audiences are usually targeted, including experts, the wider scientific community, and the general public. Visual and audio-visual artistic outputs are a powerful way to convey key messages. They can also be used to further inform the research they represent. Such pieces of scientific art can capture the public imagination, or even be used to stimulate discussion of new areas of investigation. The example of two audience-specific visualisation approaches, both using the same data from Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations of the dispersion of pollutants generated from cooking in a domestic kitchen, is used to illustrate this. Resources produced to communicate the results to the scientific community, focusing on the alignment of results to experimental data, are compared and contrasted with resources produced to communicate the message of the study to the general public. The development of suitable workflows connecting initial CAD and simulation data with tools such as ParaView, Blender and Houdini is discussed, and the importance of collaboration between research scientists and digital artists, blending the perspectives of both to produce the most impactful final outputs, is demonstrated.

In civil and mining works, the study of rock masses as well as understanding their structural arrangement is fundamental; each rock mass is unique, and its analysis also depends on the type of structure that is planned to be built. This work focuses on the analysis of the structural arrangement of the discontinuities and the volume of the generated blocks. The analysis of the structural arrangement of discontinuities in a rock mass is approached from its representation in planes. The interaction between the different families of discontinuities determines the rate of fracture and the volumetric arrangement of blocks within a rock mass. Computational tools were developed that allow a multi-directional in-depth study of the variations of discontinuities while mapping its behaviour through characteristic volumes, which distribution is determined through statistical analysis. A computational code was developed in Python for the analysis of the fracture index, the fracturing rate from multidirectional virtual drillings and a block volume analysis to obtain the volumes of the blocks formed from the interaction of the various planes making up the families of discontinuities. Besides being a very useful tool, this code allow creating aesthetic representation of rock masses as it will be presented.

The visualization of 3D phenomena, such as volumes, surfaces, or particles, offers a unique opportunity to transform scientific data into engaging artworks. Photo-realistic renderings of scientific results not only captivate but also help communicate complex ideas in a visually compelling way. However, artists and scientists often face challenges: scientists may lack the skills to create appealing imagery, while artists may not fully understand the data or the necessary tools. This disconnect can result in overly technical, uninviting imagery or abstract visuals that lack rigor. When scientists and artists collaborate, they can produce work that is both accurate and visually striking. This presentation explores how blending artistic techniques with scientific data has led to innovative approaches in data-driven art. We will share our experience using cinematic tools to transform large-scale scientific datasets from computer simulations into high-quality, stylized visualizations. By integrating artistic control with scientific accuracy, we aim to explore the possibilities that emerge from the interaction between both domains.

Sève Favre is an interdisciplinary artist who explores the interactions between the real and virtual worlds through interactive artworks. For several years, she has been developing multimedia installations in which, in some cases, she integrates an interactive digital double (Phygital Art). This artistic exploration aims to examine, by allowing the audience to directly and tactically engage with the artwork, the differences between our physical interactions with the real world and those linked to the digital world. These interactions provoke a range of responses, shedding light on our differentiated perception of the two worlds, our behaviors, and our engagement. Furthermore, for some of her works, she collaborates with PHD student in mathematics Jim Délitroz (HES-SO/EPFL), who establishes mathematical formulas to represent the possible variations contained within her creations. By integrating mathematical calculations into her installations, she raises philosophical concerns, particularly about the scale of digital data, and also challenges traditional artistic conventions.