Creative Resilience
Art has the power to provoke, motivate, inspire, illuminate, and bring about change. But when art meets science, it enters new realms of realization and purpose that can refine our perception of reality.
Creative Resilience shines a light on the artistic lives of women neuroscientists, microbiologists, doctors, nurses, medical students, researchers, science communicators, engineers, and mathematicians of all ages. Through painting, photography, digital drawing, block print, sculpture, crocheting or film, these “sci-artists” provide a testimony of how the global health pandemic has transformed the way we interact and how we are slowly emerging from it into new, transformed societies.
Discover the Exhibition
Context and Key Dates
In July 2021, UNESCO issued a global call for contribution to women with a background in STEM, inviting them to send their stories and artworks in relation to the Covid 19 pandemic. Artworks by 54 women of science have been selected and will be screened in the exhibition. The women of science are neuroscientists, microbiologists, doctors, nurses, medical students, researchers, science communicators, engineers and mathematicians of all ages, from 31 countries: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.
Women scientists are less visible than their male counterparts. Through this exhibition, UNESCO seeks to give a voice and visibility to STEM women, to their unique scientific perspectives, personal journey, creation, and resilience throughout the pandemic.
Key Dates
2022
- 11 February – On the framework of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the exhibition can be visited at Expo Dubai at the Nexus for People & Planet (on the 11th of February only).
- 07 - 24 February – Creative Resilience is open to the public at the Expo Dubai 2020 at the UN Co-create space, Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion. Come watch the new video teaser on the Kaleidoscope screens.
2021
- 28 October/01 December – A screening of all artworks will be available for the general public at UNESCO HQ, and for the press and accredited personnel.
- 27 October – Exhibition premiere and inauguration by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.
- 26 October – Opening of the exhibition of accredited Journalists and the media, 6PM, UNESCO Headquarters
Dubai Expo
Creative Resilience was feature at Expo Dubai at the UN Co-create space, Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion throughout the month of February 2022 and at the Nexus for People & Planet on the framework of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February)
UNESCO Headquarters
Creative Resilience was inaugurated at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 27 October 2021 by Mr Xing Qu, UNESCO Deputy Director-General. The Exhibition remained open to the public until December 2021.
Virtual Exhibition
360° Virtual Exhibition
Visit the 2 galleries of our 360° exhibition with a computer, mobile phone or VR glasses.
Gallery 1
Artists: Elvan Ozkavruk Adanir (Turkey), Najma Ahmed (Somalia), Ramia Al-Bakain (Jordan), Christine Arida (Egypt), Remal Arif (Pakistan), Liene Aunina (Latvia), Bedia Zeynep Çakar (Turkey), Mariana Carp (Rep. of Moldova), Carla di Luca (Argentina), Petra Dragonidesová (Slovakia), Jaroslava Frajová (Czechia), Indu Ambika Gopalankutty (India), Sukanya Hasan (Bangladesh), Alicia Hayden (UK), Davitia James (Dominica), Alanah Knibb (UK), Kathryn Ko (USA), Gabriela Miño Castro (Ecuador), Ratih Oktri Nanda (Indonesia), Zorica Nikić (Serbia), Edna Ondari (Kenya), Onisha Patel (Australia), Radhika Patnala (India), Saskia Purjobo (Indonesia), Léni Whitford (France), and Kay Wu (Canada).
Gallery 2
Artists: ACHYAP/ Sylvie Paycha (France), Eleonora Adami (Italy), Isna Ahsan (Pakistan), Mysoon al-Far (Jordan), Tahani Baakdhah (Saudi Arabia), Vanessa Braunstedter (France), Jocel Buensalido (Philippines), Theloni Coleman (USA), Kathrine Frey Frøslie (Norway), Srikala Gangi Reddy (India), Women in Mathematics (Eugenie Hunsicker - UK; Sonia Mahmoudi - Japan; Claudia Malvenuto - Italy,; Sylvie Paycha - France; Eriko Shinkawa - Japan, and Irina Linke - Germany), Mallika Jaiswal (India), Valentina Josan (Rep. of Moldova), Rebecca Kamen (USA), Kerene Kiangu (DRC), Olivia Lee (Malaysia), Maheshika Madushani (Sri Lanka), Sumana Mahata (USA), Meghan Neace (USA), Marta Novotova (Slovakia), Namrata Pandit (India), Hannah Payette Peterson (USA), Avesta Rastan (Canada), and Solvita Zarina (Latvia)
Download the catalogue of the Exhibition here. This catalogue classifies the artworks into 3 different categories: (1) story of hope, (2) story of fear and pain, and (3) story of empowerment.
