The Office of the Arts presents its signature “Science to Watch” film series in collaboration with the Islamic Arts Biennale | Gravity (2013), screening and discussion with Dr. Thibaut Lery and Saudi researcher in the field of cultural astronomy, Lama bint Mansour
Tuesday, April 11
9:30 p.m.
Islamic Arts Biennale
Western Hajj Terminal, King Abdulaziz International Airport
Location
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Have you ever wanted to understand the accuracy of the science in famous Sci-Fi movies? The Office of the Arts has collaborated with the Islamic Arts Biennale to deliver these singular workshops, in which guests will watch a curated selection of Sci-Fi movies, followed by a discussion led by scientific experts about how these films relate to science.
Join us on this session to watch GRAVITY, the 2013 science fiction thriller directed by Alfonso Cuarón, about a group of astronauts stranded in space and attempting to return back to Earth after the destruction of their space shuttle. After the screening, Dr. Thibaut Lery, Director of Research and Evaluation at KAUST, will shed light on the science behind the travel into outer space. Saudi artist and curator Lama Mansour will join him sharing her perspective on cultural astronomy, the cosmos, and the myriad ways space has been discussed and explored in literature, science, art, and culture.
About “Science to Watch”
The Office of the Arts at KAUST presents its signature “Science to Watch” film series where leading scientific experts will introduce and mediate, post-movie discussions as they relate to science.
From provocative documentaries, mesmerising scientific imagery, and compelling science fiction, the Office of the Arts’ “Science to Watch” programme will challenge the way audiences understand, interpret, and appreciate scientific ideas and perspectives. The goal of the series is to increase public awareness about science, stimulate curiosity about the research conducted at KAUST, and at the same time enjoy sci-art films for audience education and enjoyment.
About Thibaut Lery:
Since 2020, Dr. Thibaut Lery has been Director of Strategic Planning under the Provost at KAUST after being Director of Research Evaluations for seven years. Before joining KAUST, he has been Senior Science Officer at the European Science Foundation (ESF) in France for seven years, contributing to the set-up of the European Research Council (ERC) and working on space mission proposals of the European Space Agency (ESA).
He has conducted European foresight initiatives and European policy developments with major European Funding Organizations.
He has a Ph.D. in computational and theoretical astrophysics, partially funded by NASA. Previously, he has been holding teaching and research positions at EM Strasbourg Business School, Queen’s University (CA), DIAS (IE) and Congo, Brazzaville.
About Lama bint Mansour
Lama bint Mansour’s studies have focused on communications and cultural astronomy.
A magna cum laud honor graduate of The American University of Paris, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Communications in 2010. Mansour is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Cultural Astronomy from the Sophia Center of Cultural Cosmology at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David. Her dissertation topic concerns the messaging of space programs.
Mansour have been working in the culture sector since 2011, with institutions like Ithra King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture and the Saudi Art Council.
She is committed to exploring the cosmos and the myriad ways space has been discussed and explored in literature, science, art, and culture. With a background in communications, her work in culture, and a great love for space, she made it a personal mission to study modern space travel from an anthropological perspective, to understand where humanities (art, culture, history, and theology) lie within the new space age.
Her research topics to date have ranged from the use of data sonification to humanize space, how perceptions of the cosmos can be culturally conditioned, and most recently, the intercultural use of messaging in different space programs.
About the Islamic Arts Biennale
Curated by a world class team of experts across the fields of architecture, archaeology and anthropology, the Islamic Arts Biennale is a first-of-its kind exhibition that conveys a holistic perspective of the Islamic arts as a living tradition that connects past, present, and future.
About the Office of the Arts
Under the umbrella of The Office of the Provost, the Office of the Arts consists of a visual and performing arts team with a mission to promote art, science and culture in KAUST, the Kingdom, and in the wider global context.
For further information, contact officeofthearts@kaust.edu.sa and follow @KAUST_Arts on social media.
