A Workshop for Researchers and Comic Artists
What are the opportunities for popularizing science through the use of comics?
As part of the Shaking the Foundations Conference, CIRM and the Montréal Comic Arts Festival (MCAF) invited seven researchers affiliated with the centre and seven comic artists to get familiar with the popularization of science through comics during a training session given by Martin PM, comic artist and practitioner of scientific popularization, on the particularities of the medium and the elements to consider when transposing research onto the boards.
The training sessions were followed by a series of short, speed-dating-style meetings during which researchers and comic artists were able to explore their intellectual and stylistic affinities. The pairs that formed during this activity submitted a project proposal to produce a short popular science comic strip.
Go to the photo album of the workshop
Drawing Conclusions: Popularization of Science through Comics Exhibition
On February 7, 2023, the Montréal Comic Arts Festival (MCAF) and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Montreal (CIRM), in partnership with McGill Library, were pleased to present the opening of the exhibition Drawing Conclusions: Popularization of Science through Comics.
How does scientific research translate into short comics? From February 7 to April 2, 2023, our members' ongoing research projects, which were illustrated by different artists, will be exhibited at McGill Library. Projects from various fields, such as public space planning, “off” culture, religious sciences, ecological transition and digital humanities are to be discovered.
The opening night on February 7, 2023, was an excellent opportunity to exchange with the researchers and artists regarding their research and creation process, as well as to discuss issues related to the accessibility of research for a large audience.
This exhibition is a follow-up to Martin PM's training activity on the popularization of science through comics. This activity led to the pairing of CIRM members with artists in the context of the Shaking the Foundations Conference, in October 2021. This opportunity allowed five researcher-artist pairs to train and explore the process of transposing research into illustrated comic strips.
Participating projects
- La culture off à Montréal
- Anouk Bélanger (CIRM / UQAM) and Martin Lussier (UQAM)
- Michel Hellman (artist / UQO)
- Les Citadin·e·s sous microscope : une bande dessinée pour vulgariser l’observation comme méthode scientifique
- Nathalie Boucher (CIRM / R.Es.P.I.R.E.) et Chloé Couvy (UQAM / Tryspaces)
- Juliane Choquette-Lelarge (artist)
- Un nouveau corps du Christ?
- Frédéric Dejean (CIRM / UQAM)
- Daniel Ha (artist)
- Les corridors écologiques, la fluidité du vivant
- Jeanne-Hélène Jugie (CIRM / CRE-Montréal)
- Orcéine, a.k.a. Audrey Desaulniers (artist)
- The Data for Society Hub (DSH)
- Jullien Vallières (CIRM / McGill) and the DSH coordination team
- Chloé Germain-Thérien (artist)
Go to the photo album of the exhibition
MCAF and CIRM wish to thank Acfas for sharing this idea of a collaboration between researchers and comic artists. We also thank the Caisse de la Culture Desjardins, who has financially supported the artists for this project, and Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec (LOJIQ), for their mobility grants given to emerging artists.
