At the Nehru Centre, Mumbai, an audacious exhibition proves that the laboratory and the artist’s studio are closer than we think.
If you had stepped inside Mumbai’s Nehru Centre last week, you would have found the universe collapsing onto canvas. In one corner, a lone astronaut floated in a silent, cosmic ballet of colour, tethered by a single, fragile lifeline. In another, the sacred geometry of a pink lotus bloomed amidst a dance of chemical formulae and benzene rings. This was not your typical gallery viewing. This was ‘Science Through Artists’ Eyes,’ a groundbreaking exhibition that, from June 17th to 23rd, dared to dissolve the boundaries between the analytical and the aesthetic.
The result is a symphony of over 60 works that hum with a shared creative energy, a bridge built between two cultures often seen as polar opposites. The exhibition, inaugurated on June 17 and lasted till 23rd, was the brainchild of Arvind Paranjpye, the director of the Nehru Planetarium. For him, the spark of inspiration wasn’t found in a telescope, but in a chance encounter within the gallery’s own walls.
“I saw science in the picture—the interference of waves,” Paranjpye recalled, describing a photograph of waves meeting Mumbai’s shore. The photographer had captured a perfect illustration of physics without knowing it. That moment birthed a mission: to invite artists, many with no formal science background, to render their own experience of the scientific world. The goal? To nurture ‘a spirit of enquiry,’ and arm the public with the beautiful objectivity of science against the rising tide of ‘irrationality, superstitions and myths.’
The call sent out via social media was a gamble, but the response was a flood of creativity, a majority of it, Paranjpye notes with pride, from women.
The gallery vibrated with these diverse interpretations. Scientist Sweena Joshi, 39, who helms a startup developing PCR-based healthcare kits, found her muse in the microscopic. Her piece, ‘Mitosis,’ reimagines eukaryotic cell division through the intricate, symmetrical patterns of Madhubani folk art. “At every level—from micro to macro—biological components and their concepts lend themselves beautifully to becoming art,” she explained, drawing a parallel between the elegant symmetry of a virus and that of a flower.
From the cellular, we leap to the cosmic with freelance artist Parul Bhatnagar. The 40-year-old trekker’s work explores the grand mysteries of the universe, with lone figures suspended in stardust. For her, the connection is deeply personal. “You see yourself growing in all directions,” she muses, “like the natural crystals that catch my eye during treks.” Her art is a testament to how personal experience can translate the abstract laws of light and space into a relatable human story.
The exhibition also honours the intellectual giants of science. Pramod Sahasrabuddhe, a 66-year-old structural engineer, finds a shared creative path in the logic that underpins both his profession and his passion. His abstract pieces draw inspiration from unseen forces like stresses and bonds, while his portraits pay homage to the minds of Euclid, Descartes, and Einstein. “The logic part is more present in science and technology,” he says, “but it’s not absent in pure art.”
This dialogue between disciplines is precisely what the exhibition set out to achieve. It’s a space where an eighth-grader’s fiery painting of a volcano can share a wall with a professional’s deep dive into quantum mechanics. It’s where Geerija Koli, an 18-year-old engineering student, can be captivated by a portrait of Abdul Kalam by artist Sonali Iyengar. “An error in coding will prevent a program from running,” Koli remarks, admiring the artwork. “I find this drawing detailed and flawless.”
‘Science Through Artists’ Eyes’ is more than a collection of paintings and photographs. It is a living conversation. It’s a challenge to scientists to communicate their work with beauty, as inaugurator Ajit Kembhavi urged, and an invitation to everyone else to find the poetry in physics and the artistry in biology. It is a powerful reminder that whether looking through a microscope or at a masterpiece, we are all just trying to make sense of the magnificent world we inhabit.
–Rithvisha Kiran
