Princeton University’s Art of Science 2009 competition is a collection of 48 works that reflect the theme of “found art.” Each piece was “produced during the course of scientific research… [and] chosen for [its] aesthetic excellence as well as scientific or technical interest.” First prize went to a mind-blowing, microscopic image of squid embryos. But even the non-winners are extraordinary, such as The Persistence of Memory, Light Deflection 2b, and the strangely sexual Something Really Hot (1). All of these works seem to leap from the realm of science straight into metaphor, and with connections that are not always clear or logical, the result is a kind of aesthetic mystery.
Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the site was designed by a Rumpus fave, Jonathan Harris, along with Grady Klein. Read the Rumpus feature about Jonathan Harris’s work here.