They bring together science and art in a great work of artistic-scientific diplomacy in Mexico

They bring science and art together a great work of artistic-scientific diplomacy of Mexico

Yesterday the book was presented at the Palacio de Minería The table of elements.Photo taken from that volume, courtesy of La Cabra Ediciones

If the exposure The table of elementsconceived by the editor María Luisa Passarge and the photographer Rogelio Cuéllar, captivated the public who visited it at the Universum museum in 2019, the book dedicated to this project that amalgamates science and art is an extraordinary portrait of the universe and a great work of artistic-scientific diplomacy from Mexico to the world.

During the presentation of the catalogue, co-edition between La Cabra Ediciones, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government of Hidalgo, which took place yesterday at the Palacio de Minería, Passarge pointed out that the project they started in 2018, when UNESCO dedicated that year to celebrate the creation of the periodic table of chemical elements, close your loop at home.

The exhibition three years ago, he recalled, It was a party, where artists and scientists, as well as a large audience made up of children, youth and adults, coexisted and demonstrated that science and art share creativity, curiosity, intelligence and passion.

Cuéllar stressed that the printed catalogs of exhibitions are essential, because “they help to educate audiences and readers, they allow the viewer not to depend on memory to have a record of the experience and to relate what has been seen and what has been experienced with historical texts and content. and intellectuals of the work.

The exhibitions travel through their catalogs and leave their mark on art history, journalism, academic criticism and cultural anthropology. That is why we think it is important to make a edition of this book, accessible to the general public.

Participating in the meeting, among others, were the rector of the UNAM, Enrique Graue; Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and the Governor of Hidalgo, Omar Fayad, who stressed that this single editorial piece has a profound meaning, especially because it vindicates Andrés Manuel del Río (1764-1849), a scientist from New Spain who described for the first time in America a new chemical element, Panchromium (also called Erythronium or Zimapanium), extracted from the rocks of the mining region of Zimapán, Hidalgo, in 1801.

“For us, this is a scientific contribution from Mexico to the world. Del Río waged his own battle for the international recognition of the Zimapanio discovery, named after the municipality where he found it, but assigned to a Swedish researcher who obviously had more resources and support to validate his observations.

How could we vindicate Andrés Manuel del Río? With the magnificent book that summons us today. Doing science is the answer and even more so at this time of complexity; Mexicans should not have limitationsthe governor pointed out.

Inspired by Oliver Sacks

this exposure is fall British neurologist Oliver Sacks, added Passarge, because thanks to reading his book the river of consciousness (the autobiography of that scientist passionate about chemistry) the idea arose of reinventing the pictorial table of the elements through art, for which they asked 121 authors for a piece inspired by one of the chemical substances that make up that chart devised by the Russian Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869.

Among the guests were Vicente Rojo, Pedro Friedeberg, Carmen Parra, Rafael Cauduro, Alberto Castro Leñero, Nunik Sauret, Paloma Torres, Gabriel Macotela, Ismael Guardado, Jazzamoart, Roberto Parodi, Sandra Pani and Emiliano Gironella. In addition, Cuéllar made a portrait of each artist in black and white with a black board behind it, on which the symbol of each element was written or drawn with white chalk (The Conference21/7/19)

On behalf of the authors that make up the book, the sculptor Maribel Portela said that this work “allows art and science to embrace each other, I want to assume that it is also a forceful affirmation that art will always be the best antidote against global uncertainty. and any threat that threatens freedom and intelligence.

The periodic table of the elements is constituted as a manifesto in favor of beauty and knowledge in its permanent fight against ignorance.

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, announced that the office under his charge will take steps so that the exhibition The table of elements be presented next year in Paris, Madrid, Washington, Tokyo, China and India, since the exhibition and everything that accompanies it speaks of the human dimension of science.

He also highlighted the relationship between science and the arts, as well as the importance of the Mexican State promoting both sectors in its relationship with other nations.

“We have a very intense dialogue with many countries and scientific centers. This topic is always a high priority and we see a great willingness to cooperate – even more than one would expect – in India, Korea, the Arab countries and the European ones”, he underlined.

The official emphasized that it is difficult to imagine a foreign policy without a scientific and cultural dimension, because we would not even have good resultsand reiterated that many of the original works that are reflected in the book presented yesterday could be exhibited in 2023 in various cities.

The rector of the UNAM, Enrique Graue, stressed that science and art are indissoluble elements of our humanity and proof of the scientific need to explore and understand our origin and that of the universe.

The development of the periodic table of the elements is considered one of the most significant achievements of science, the book explains, because “it closely links different fields of knowledge, such as astronomy, chemistry, physics, biology and others. natural Sciences.

It is a unique tool that allows scientists to study the appearance and properties of matter on Earth and in the Universe. Many chemical elements are crucial for the manufacture and development on an industrial scale of numerous products present in everyday life and necessary to preserve the planet. The four most recent elements were added to the periodic table, with their names and symbols approved, just on November 28, 2016.

By Editor

Leave a Reply