Art & Science Collide

American Artist reimagines the history of rocket science through the lens of Octavia Butler, blending speculative fiction, Black futurism, and critique of space colonization. The Monophobic Response connects Butler’s Earthseed vision with real rocket tests, centering Black and brown communities in a new narrative of survival, technology, and imagined futures.

Special Species — an artist collaborative comprised of Jason Chang, Joel Fernando, and Yesenia Prieto — collaborate on a project for the Natural History Museum. Combining piñata-making techniques with the Mexican alebrijes tradition, their work draws attention to overlooked species and crafts, showing how cultural practices and ecological awareness can intersect.

Lauren Bon of Metabolic Studio explores the LA River’s mismanagement and its environmental impact. Using corn as a hyperaccumulator, she transforms a contaminated train yard into fertile land, demonstrating how redirected water and creative interventions can restore soil health, connect urban spaces to the river, and rethink LA’s water use.

Cannupa Hanska Luger’s Sovereignty Suits reimagine the spacesuit as more than survival gear. Made of clay, steel, and cultural objects, these sculptures become vessels of memory and resilience—time travelers carrying our stories, reminding us that to journey forward, we must take our culture with us.

Hayv Kahraman, an Iraqi-born artist, explores the interconnectedness of humans and microbes. Using linen and marbling techniques, she highlights how microbial life shapes both our bodies and materials, suggesting that art can reveal connections between the microscopic, the human, and the cosmic, challenging notions of identity and difference.

Weaving together stories of artists featured in the Getty’s 2024-25 Southern California art event Pacific Standard Time, the documentary showcases a sampling of the participating arts organizations and scientific institutions throughout the region.