The second edition of the Let's Science! workshops in German-speaking Switzerland once again had an exciting topic: physics and music. These two subject areas have a lot in common.
In October, two high school classes from Basel and Lucerne attended the Labs organised by IBSA Foundation and the Cartoonmuseum. The students first explored (sound) waves and then moved on to the artistic representation of music on paper and with cartoon characters. They found this extraordinary combination of science and comics very inspiring. Physicist and composer Ali-Latif Shushtari along with artist Malin Widén co-hosted the workshop.
The visualization of sound: a workshop inspired by Richard McGuire
Richard McGuire was the inspiration for this latest Let's Science! workshop with his exhibition «Then and There, Here and Now» at the Cartoonmuseum in Basel. The US-American artist, designer and musician is very interested in giving artistic expression to sounds or music, and he has experimented extensively with the visualization of sounds.
Malen Widén and Ali Latif-Shushtari took the class on a tour of Richard McGuire's exhibition at the Cartoon Museum. They explained to the students how the cartoonist translated music and sound on paper, each from their own disciplinary point of view.
Physicists and musicians lead the lab
Afterwards, Shushtari illustrated through various examples the role of waves in music and how physics can be applied to compose. He studied physics in Iran and now lives in Bern and has completed a master's degree in composition at the University of the Arts in Bern. Two seemingly contradictory areas, that – in reality – complement each other well. One of his most recent works: A musical theatre based on texts by the Swiss author Robert Walser.
Drawing is also thinking
Then, under the guidance of Malin Widén, the school class drew sound waves and figures inspired by a piece of music by Shushtari. After all, the visual representation of sounds and noises is one of the most important elements in comics. From these drawings, the teenagers developed comic characters as well as instruments for a poster. Malin Widén also sees drawing as a visual thought process. For her master's thesis at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, Widén focused on drawing-oriented thinking and published her experimental-scientific report as a book. For this she was awarded the Max von Moos Award. In addition, her children's book “On the Island” is on the list of recommendations of “The red elephant”.
A memorable experience with Let’s Science!
For once, physics was more than just formulas and experiments: the teenagers were able to learn that the supposedly dry matter also enables artistic applications and can even trigger a wave of creativity.
In the end, everyone was happy with the goodie bags from IBSA Foundation with drawing tools and the book «Waves and us» from the Let's Science! series. It explains the subject of waves in detail, from sound waves to electromagnetic waves and magnetism. There is also a comic about Giorgio, the singer of the band «Waves», who has to deal with a burst eardrum because the music was too loud.
IBSA Foundation and the Cartoonmuseum
Since 2023, IBSA Foundation has been supporting the Cartoonmuseum in Basel. The Cartoonmuseum is the only museum in Switzerland dedicated exclusively to narrative art, as comics and cartoons are also known. A partnership built on shared values and enriched through creative collaboration.
