The Australian Institute of Art History (AIAH) at the University of Melbourne collaborated with the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ) in 2024 on a new annual award. The aim is to foster new and innovative research and public engagement by early career professionals.
Judges: Dr Jane Eckett, Associate Professor Andrea Bubenik and Dr Wendy Garden
Award recipitents: Dr Kirsten Banks and Mary McGillivray
ArtStronomy: Communicating intersections between art and astronomy through history
Project summary: Join ABC TikTok/Instagram sensations, Wiradjuri Astrophysicist Dr. Kirsten Banks and Art Historian Mary McGillivray as they embark on a captivating journey unravelling the stories behind some of the most fascinating celestial artworks in history.
In the public’s imagination, art and science are often pitted against one another – art as subjective and emotional, science as objective and analytical. ArtStronomy is an interdisciplinary public communication project that challenges these assumptions by revealing the long-held connections between these fields.
Leveraging Dr. Kirsten Banks’ expertise in astrophysics and Mary McGillivray’s research into pre-modern visual culture, this series will explore history’s diverse depictions of the cosmos, from European Renaissance paintings to Aboriginal artworks tied to celestial phenomena. For example, in one episode of this series we will explore an Aboriginal carving of the sky emu constellation on Camaraygal land that marks key events in the seasonal cycle of emus – a powerful example of how Indigenous art encodes astronomical knowledge. And in another episode we will investigate the prophetic powers of Halley’s Comet (which appears in our sky once every 75 years 5 months and 19 days) and its many appearances in European medieval art – from the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry, to Giotto di Bondone’s depiction of the star of Bethlehem.
With Kirsten and Mary’s extensive experience in public communication, ArtStronomy invites the public to reflect on how we interpret the universe – past, present, and future – while bringing these two seemingly disparate disciplines together in unexpected and illuminating ways.
Project outline: ArtStronomy is a research and outreach initiative that explores how artists have responded to the stars throughout history, sharing these narratives with the public through engaging social media videos. The project will produce eight vertical (9:16) videos, each up to 180 seconds long, for Instagram and TikTok.
The series will focus on two themes. One theme will spotlight pre-modern European artworks depicting celestial and astrological events, drawing on Mary McGillivray’s expertise in late-medieval art, visual culture and epistemological history. These videos will illuminate how Classical and Christian theology intersected with natural philosophy in pre-modern Europe, and how artists and scientists interpreted astronomical phenomena within theological, scholarly and vernacular paradigms.
Our second theme will leverage Dr. Kirsten Banks’ knowledge of Australian contexts and Indigenous astronomy, highlighting the profound connections between art and celestial navigation in Indigenous cultures. ArtStronomy will also draw from Kirsten’s expertise in stellar spectroscopy, asteorseismology & galactic archaeology, enriching each video topic with up-to date scientific understandings of the relevant astronomical phenomena.
Each video will intertwine contemporary scientific understanding with the stories of historical artistic representations. This interdisciplinary approach aims to break down the perceived divide between art and science, fostering public curiosity and encouraging viewers to appreciate the many ways humanity has grappled with the stars over the centuries.
Dr. Kirsten Banks is a recent PhD graduate from the University of New South Wales Sydney. During her studies, she conducted interdisciplinary research in stellar spectroscopy and galactic archaeology. As a proud Wiradjuri woman, astrophysicist, and science communicator, Kirsten brings a unique blend of scientific insight and cultural heritage. She is skilled in sharing Indigenous Australian astronomy, highlighting how ancient knowledge informs our understanding of the universe. Her interdisciplinary approach will add depth to ArtStronomy by exploring the stars through both scientific inquiry and cultural storytelling.
Mary McGillivray is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne’s School of Culture and Communication, focusing on novel ways to communicate academic research, particularly her thesis on fictive marble in late-medieval Italian painting. She holds a Master’s degree in History of Art and Architecture from the University of Cambridge, has worked with art galleries and cultural
institutions across Australia, the UK, and Europe, and has a regular segment on the ABC’s “The Art Of”. With eight years of media industry experience, Mary brings both scholarly expertise and practical knowledge to the project.
With a combined social media following of over 1 million across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Kirsten and Mary’s engaged audience is ideal for this project’s research outputs. Cross-posting across both applicants’ channels will introduce arts viewers to scientific content and vice-versa, making this project interdisciplinary in both research methodology and audience engagement.
By merging our expertise in translating academic research into an accessible and engaging format for a non-specialist audience, we aim to explore the similarities and differences between science and humanities communication, identifying techniques and pedagogies both fields can learn from. This approach is particularly relevant in today’s digital landscape, where audiences seek meaningful connections to complex topics.