April 16, 2025
“XPANSE in the Desert” workshop with artists & scholars continues!
In collaboration with Art Proxima by MATTER, Jan Loop, Professor of Early Modern History and Religious Cultures at University of Copenhagen and Dr. Reto Sorg, Lecturer in Modern German Literature, University of Lausanne, the 2nd edition of the “XPANSE in the Desert” workshop took place on April 16, 2025.
Together, we brought new media artists into dialogue with scholars across history, literature, theology, and translation - to explore how the desert can inspire and challenge our creative instincts.
Their perspectives will lay the foundation for a collective work of art under XPANSE II theme: The Desert.
Featured Scholars:
- Dr. Mette Birkedal Bruun, Professor of Church History at the University of Copenhagen, shared her research on how Cistercian monks imagined the desert.
- Dr. Celina Osuna, Assistant Professor of English, The University of Texas at El Paso, explored how desert imagery in literature, art and film shapes cultural and political perspectives.
- Dr. Hartmut Fähndrich, Former Professor of Arabic at ETH Zürich, spoke about the nomadic imagination in the fiction of Ibrahim Al-Koni.
Knowledge shared laid the foundation for artistic curiosity, inquiries, the new emerging creative process, leading to a collective work of art between artists and scientists to be presented at the 2nd edition of XPANSE.
What is ART Proxima?
ART Proxima, an initiative of MATTER, is a first-of-its-kind collective of new media artists and scientists united to co-create works of art at the intersection of science, creativity and deep research. Co-curated with Dr. Zina Jarrahi Cinker and Soliman Lopez, it premiered at XPANSE, hosting 20 international artists and 7 sci-art installations. Read more about ART Proxima
Dr. Zina Cinker, Chief Creator of XPANSE, moderated a high-stakes conversation with leaders from energy, finance, and deep tech on why they’re investing in quantum now - and how it’s accelerating the UAE’s national strategy.
MATTER - parent company of XPANSE - had the honor of partnering with H.E. Arthur Mattli, Swiss Ambassador to the UAE, for the reception of Switzerland’s high-level scientific delegation to Abu Dhabi and contributing from its network to a guest list of select scientists and institutional leaders from the UAE’s academic and innovation ecosystem.
During Dr. Cinker’s fireside chat with Dr. Merritt Moore, they explored the dynamic intersection of creativity, science, and the arts, bridging these disciplines to open new opportunities for strategic connections, innovation, and cultural expression
A dedicated bioengineer trying to develop innovative translational medical devices for better healthcare in the future.
In collaboration with Art Proxima by MATTER, Jan Loop, Professor of Early Modern History and Religious Cultures at University of Copenhagen and Dr. Reto Sorg, Lecturer in Modern German Literature, University of Lausanne, the 2nd edition of the “XPANSE in the Desert” workshop took place on April 16.
I am a quantum enthusiast with a passion for politics, and a hopeless idealist dedicated wholeheartedly to the Quantum Social Lab - where science meets society, and curiosity meets creativity.
As a bioacoustician, I have dedicated my work to exploring how sounds from Nature can help us better understand and protect wildlife and restore biodiversity.
Dr. Graham Lau is an astrobiologist, meditation guide, science communicator, and writer with a vision for exploring the cosmos and building the future of our civilization here on Earth.
I am, at heart, an explorer driven by an insatiable curiosity to venture where no one has gone before, whether that’s unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos or tackling profound questions about the origin of life and the nature of consciousness.
In partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi, MATTER brought together new media artists from our initiative, ART Proxima, and desert scholars from NYU Abu Dhabi for the “XPANSE in the Desert” Workshop, in preparation tp the next theme of XPANSE 2nd Edition - The Desert.
In partnership with Layers of Reality at IDEAL Barcelona, 3rd MATTER Annual Meet-Up was held, bringing together MATTERSPHERE, XPANSE, and PUZZLE X partners & friends.
XPANSE advisory council members and key partners gathered for an evening of deep discussion on the next theme of XPANSE 2nd Edition and the desert’s profound significance.
I am curious guy working and learning in science, technology and commercial development.
In my whole career as a biophysicist, brain scientist and now as biotechnologist, I have always been most productive at the interface between science - exploring and understanding – and Technology - designing and building.
I am a dedicated materials scientist passionate about pioneering advancements in smart and sustainable materials that will redefine industries and improve everyday life.
I’m a mathematician who got lost and ended up finding interesting questions in physics and philosophy and spends a lot of time thinking about the universe.
Professor Yahya Zweiri, Department of Aerospace Engineering, and Director of the Advanced Research & Innovation Center (ARIC) at Khalifa University, UAE.
I’m a computational scientist on a mission to push the boundaries of knowledge using the unmatched power of supercomputers and simulation
I am a scientist. With over 15 years of experience in quantum photonics labs, and a passion for the Space sector, I focus on merging the best of both worlds to enhance our everyday life.
I am a scientist. With over 15 years of experience in quantum photonics labs, and a passion for the Space sector, I focus on merging the best of both worlds to enhance our everyday life.
I am the founder and CEO of Cortical Labs. I was previously the CTO and founder of a medtech company making Internet-connected medical devices called CliniCloud. Before CliniCloud, I was a medical doctor doing my residency in Emergency Medicine. I am also a software developer and have worked on apps and machine learning research.
I am a Space scientist. Whatever flies in outer Space, I am in!
My name is Arben Merkoçi and I am ICREA Professor and Group Leader at Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, ICN2, in Barcelona.
I am a Materials Scientist and currently serve as the Group Leader of the Nanofabrication and Devices Group at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory.
Since I was five years old I have been fascinated by using computers to extend human capabilities. My company makes a platform that supports this goal and then we use this platform to implement solutions for companies around the world. (You could say I support human augmentation / cyborgification).
I am a neurobiologist working to understand how the human brain is built in health and disease.
I am a materials science researcher who is fascinated by challenges in Space that are cross-cutting and are useful on earth as well.