co.labore—A Genuine Collaboration between Arts and Science, Reflecting Viewpoints and Merging Skills

Abstract

Often chemists regard their scientific work as creative, when designing and synthesizing new molecules and larger assemblies. In this, we have to go through recurring stages of planning projects, doubting results, discarding ideas, and restarting them with a different approach in order to be successful in chemical research. From this point of view, can we fairly assume that these processes are analogous to the stages artists go through when creating art? In our efforts to strengthen reflective perspectives on what chemists are doing, the SFB 858 initiated a collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts Münster. Additionally, we were aiming to enter into a dialogue about our research with a broader public.