Shaping the Future of Life Through Culture, Science, and Technology

Initiated by Michael Schindhelm, in partnership with CORA as an R&D, platform, and public programming partner, with GIGA as a research and technology collaborator specializing in computational aesthetics and interactive environments, and led on the Hong Kong Baptist University side by Prof. Dr. Jeffrey Shaw, Life.Arts.Science is being developed with leading academic institutions and industry partners in Switzerland and Hong Kong.

At its heart, Life.Arts.Science is about transforming how society engages with the frontier of life sciences. It recognizes that scientific knowledge often remains inaccessible, buried in specialist language or confined to academic and industry circles. By combining immersive technology, generative AI, and curated public programming, the project turns complex research into experiences that anyone can explore and understand. Visitors will not just observe but interact with scientific ideas: conversing with AI avatars informed by real data, attending talks with world-leading scientists, and participating in discussions that connect biomedical innovation with broader social questions. This approach aims to build a new cultural interface for science that promotes understanding, curiosity, and informed dialogue about the future of life itself.

Basel and Hong Kong: The Bridge between Science, Culture, and Innovation

Basel offers a truly exceptional context for realizing this vision. As Europe’s leading life sciences cluster, the Basel region is home to over 800 companies and research institutions specializing in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and advanced biomedical innovation. This dense ecosystem is anchored by world-class academic centers such as the University of Basel’s Biozentrum and the FHNW School of Life Sciences, providing the scientific credibility and validated research essential to the project.

Equally important, Basel is widely regarded as Switzerland’s cultural capital. It hosts an extraordinary concentration of museums, festivals, and creative industries, and is internationally recognized as the home of Art Basel—the world’s most influential contemporary art fair. This cultural prominence reflects a long-standing tradition of exchange and patronage between the scientific and cultural sectors. For generations, major life science companies and institutions in Basel have been active supporters of the arts—funding museums, commissioning work, and sustaining cultural events that shape the city’s public life.

Just as Basel offers a deep tradition of life sciences excellence and cultural exchange, Hong Kong provides a complementary foundation for this collaboration. With its strong research institutions, thriving design and technology sectors, and leading role as a gateway between Asia and the world, Hong Kong is an essential partner in developing Life.Arts.Science as a truly international platform. The project seeks to extend and deepen its collaboration with the Hong Kong Baptist University and its Visualization Research Centre, supporting shared research, exchange, and the creation of immersive public formats that respond to diverse cultural contexts.

Life.Arts.Science builds directly on this foundation. It creates opportunities for dialogue between scientific institutions and the public, using artistic formats as a medium to connect, build trust, and support shared exploration of complex research and its implications for society. This approach draws on the long tradition of art as a space for collective reflection and informed decision-making, offering a framework where research institutions, cultural actors, and communities can come together to address shared questions. By involving researchers, artists, industry partners, and audiences from the outset, the project aims to make Basel’s combination of scientific expertise and cultural depth more accessible, meaningful, and responsive to public needs.

Exploring the Hybrid Future: What Visitors Can Expect

Beyond offering immersive experiences to visitors, Life.Arts.Science is conceived as a catalyst for broader change in how science engages with society. At a personal level, it invites individuals to connect with scientific questions that shape daily life and collective futures, encouraging curiosity, reflection, and critical dialogue. On a societal scale, it aims to build trust and openness by making complex research transparent, relatable, and relevant to public concerns.

For research institutions and industry partners, it provides a framework for sharing knowledge in ways that respect complexity while remaining accessible, supporting meaningful exchange with the communities they serve. By creating common ground through cultural formats, Life.Arts.Science contributes to more informed public debate and better foundations for decision-making in civic and policy contexts.

Looking ahead, the project is envisioned not simply as an exhibition or event, but as an evolving platform for collaboration—a shared space where science, art, and society can meet to explore challenges, imagine possibilities, and develop new forms of collective understanding for the future.

About the Initiator, Michael Schindhelm

Michael Schindhelm (born 1960) is an author, filmmaker, curator, and cultural advisor originally from Ticino, Switzerland. He studied quantum chemistry at Voronezh State University in the former USSR. He served as artistic director of Theater Basel (1996–2006) and was the first general director of the Berlin Opera Foundation before becoming founding director of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

Since 2007, he has worked internationally as a cultural advisor for projects in cities including Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, Zurich, Dresden, Berlin, and Riyadh. His projects include The End of Aging at the Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger, developed in close dialogue with experts such as Fiona Marshall (Novartis), Michael N. Hall, and Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan. His documentary films include Mit Lichtgeschwindigkeit zum Impfstoff – Das Projekt Biontech and In the Mood for Art, demonstrating his broader commitment to exploring cultural and societal themes through film and public formats.