Origami I What you're looking at began as a scientific image of DNA. Created by artist Christine Lavanchy, the piece combines ink drawing with an atomic force microscopy image of DNA origami nanoparticles — microscopic structures created by folding DNA into precise shapes at the nanoscale. #sciart

The golden sun (2021) by Prof. Georgi Yordanov. Crystals of ascorbic acid — more widely known as vitamin C — viewed under a polarizing microscope. • • #sciart #microscopy #chemistry #vitaminc #crystals #polarizedlight #scienceisbeautiful #artinscience #micrograph #scientificimaging

Dark side of the fungi (2020) What looks like an alien landscape is actually a fungus growing in a Petri dish.

Microbial map of middle earth (2019) What if Middle Earth existed beneath our feet?

Neurons in a box (2018) Did you know that the adult brain can still produce new neurons?

Captured emptiness (2025) What looks like a distant planet is, in reality, something far smaller.

Moovement (2024) What can three cows teach us about adaptation and survival? This image maps the simulated positions of three cows after three days (cyan), five days (red), and thirty days (pink) of grazing in a pasture the size of a football field.

Taurine (2022) A burst of color created from something normally invisible.

Glomerular ore (2021) At first glance, this looks like a fragment of rock or a metal ore. In reality, it’s a high-magnification image of a human kidney.

Is there life on Mars? (2020) At first glance, this looks like the surface of a distant planet.

Bubbles (2019) Plants know when to let go.

Yin & Yang of Leaf Microbiome (2018) A simple leaf hosts an entire invisible world.

Tentacle Flowers (2017) At first glance, the shapes in this picture look like delicate flowers. In reality, this is the surface of human colon tissue.

Expansion Inversion Collapse (2025) How will the universe end? In this work, Dr Alexandra Vasilyeva (@avasciart) explores possible cosmic futures: expansion, inversion, and collapse.

EDTA and tequila (2024) Separate bubbles. Alone, they exist. Together, they matter. This image captures bubbles of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) dissolved in tequila, where light radiates from each sphere and visually connects them into a single network.

Constellations (2022) Like stars forming patterns in the night sky, cells in this image appear linked across space.

Alex Andrix (artist) and Damien de Vienne (evolutionary biologist), authors of Throughout the Eras, organized a museum visit at @musee_des_confluences in Lyon for six people, using the prize money they received from the jury and audience favourite artwork in the Exhibition of Extreme Environments.

Streptomyces: The pinkest pink (2021) At first glance, it looks like the trace of a kiss. What you’re really seeing is Streptomyces, a soil bacterium whose claim to fame is making many of the antibiotics we rely on.

Thirsty mozzy (2020) For many of us, a mosquito is just part of a summer night.

Beautiful Eye (2019) What looks like an eye is actually a moment underground.

Lonely in the Dark (2018) What should be many has become just one. On the gravel bed of Lake Thun, a single European grayling embryo rests alone. Biologist Dr. David Nusbaumer (@kiwi___photography) chose this isolated view to reflect the drastic decline of the species.

2017 Throwback: Crescent Moon 🌙 This isn’t a photograph of the moon. It’s a glimpse into the living universe of human breast milk.

Opening today at the Palais de Rumine in Lausanne: Moving Pictures This photography exhibition brings together the work of 15 wildlife photographers who capture both the breathtaking beauty of nature and the devastating traces of human impact.

We would like to announce the 3 winners of this year’s public vote! We got a total of 142 ballots and every single artwork got at least 2 votes. Congratulations to all winners and thank you to every member of the audience who participated in this vote! 🥁🥁🥁

Although the exhibition at the Forum has now closed, our collaboration with ZEISS Microscopy continues as we reopen Extreme Environments at Géopolis (University of Lausanne) on October 24.

Join our hands-on microscopy workshop on Saturday, October 11 | 13:00–16:00 🔬 It is open to everyone and kid-friendly. We are very lucky to count ZEISS (@zeiss_microscopy) in our sponsors, without whom this workshop would not be possible! #microscopy #microscopyworkshop #scicomm

Join us for Hot Tables: at the Edge of Research - a “speed dating” style event with some of our extreme environment scientists. Hop in and out from table to table to learn about their research, what motivated them to explore the wilderness! Info at figure1a.org/hot-tables-2025

TODAY! We open EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS: Beyond Limits, a scientific art exhibition exploring creativity, life, and research in remote environments. 🗓 30.09 | 17h30📍 Forum de l’Hôtel de Ville | Place de la Palud 2, Lausanne.

The posters are out there in the world! Fresh off the press and making their way around town. Have you spotted one yet? Let us know where you’ve seen them! 👀🖼️ • • • #scicomm #sciart #scientificart #sciartexhibit Poster by Aris Zenone

Join us for the vernissage of our exhibition “Extreme Environment” next Tuesday! There will be art, science and drinks. We are excited to welcome David and Marc from the collective Fragmentin and Stuart from AlpWISE who will give talks to broaden our horizons.

[Figure 1.A.] est de retour en Valais en 2025! En partenariat avec la Murithienne et l'artiste Camille von Deschwanden, nous présentons notre nouvelle exposition collective «Fibres, Art & Sciences entrelacés» qui aura lieu à Vouvry. #artscientifique — Vernissage le 19 septembre à 18h30 —

Where to meet us this autumn? We have two exhibitions coming up this month! Details below and on figure1a.org. Looking forward to welcoming you at the intersection of art and science!

The countdown to the 2025 exhibition “Extreme Environments” begins now! And with it, we’re unveiling this year’s poster made by Aris Zenone. 🗓️ Mark your calendars, the exhibition opens on Sept 30 in Lausanne. We cannot wait for you to see this year’s incredible art pieces.

MEET OUR TEAM ✨ We’re a collective of scientists, artists, communicators, and creatives based in Lausanne, working at the intersection of science and art.

MEET THE JURY 🔬🎨 Every year, a dedicated jury reviews submissions from around the world to shape the final exhibition. Some have been with us for years, others bring fresh perspectives for a single edition — all contribute their time, insight, and curiosity. Please meet the ones on 2025 edition:

We are excited to welcome you to the 2025 exhibition at the Forum de l’Hôtel de Ville in Lausanne from September 30 to October 19, 2025. Stay tuned — more details about speakers and workshops coming soon! #sciart #scicomm #sciencecommunication

Our main exhibition is just around the corner! This year’s theme, Extreme Environments, brought in 76 artworks from 13 different countries. Thank you to all participants for your high quality submissions. Stay tuned for the dates and location of the 2025 exhibition! #sciart #scicomm

Last day of our open call! Send us your sciart today at figure1a.org 🔬🎨 The 2025 exhibition will open this fall, stay tuned for more info! • • #scicomm #sciart #sciencecommunication #sciartexhibition #extremeenvironments

Open call closes soon! #tardigrades are micro-animals (<1mm!) that can survive extreme conditions— including the vacuum of space, dehydration, radiation and freezing cold. Some inspiration for your #sciart submissions? Image credit: waterbearmosspiglet.wordpress.com

Our open call is closing soon, submit your #sciart by May 31st! We are sharing an excerpt from The Green Bloc by Maja Fowkes. It’s a great reflection on art, ecology and resistance that we hope can spark your imagination.

12 days left to submit your art for our competition! Remember, it can fit this year’s theme or not. Artist’s choice! We are looking forward to build another great exhibition with you. #sciart #sciartcommunity

Did you already send us something? 👀 Submit your #sciart before the end of May! What do extreme environments mean for you? Let us know.

Submissions are open 🎉 Head to figure1a.org/submissions before the end of May to submit your artworks. We are very excited to build this year’s exhibition with you. #sciart

Submissions open on April 1st! Start prepping your artworks. We cannot wait! #scicomm #sciart #scientificartexhibition

🥁 2025 Theme Unveiling This year’s exhibition, “Extreme Environments: Beyond Limits”, will explore stories of resilience that challenge our perceptions of life’s boundaries, and try to predict humanity’s shape(s), centuries from now. Call for #sciart projects opening soon - stay tuned!