A futuristic AI observatory in the heart of Berlin—a visual interpretation of Nico Marquardt's research. The motif will be displayed on posters throughout Berlin as part of the BUA's OPEN LAB campaign. | Artist: Liam Schnell
Dear Nico, congratulations on winning the BUA ideas competition in the field of global health. What are your hopes for our competition?
By participating in this competition, I would like to contribute to raising public awareness of one of the central goals of Agenda 2030: reducing maternal mortality. Combining science and art opens up new ways of highlighting global inequalities and initiating processes of social change.
What can be seen on the poster motif that you developed together with 3D artist Liam Schnell?
The motif shows a futuristic AI observatory in the middle of Berlin—a visionary fusion of urban space, medical imagery, and the digital future.
At its heart is an AI-supported system that uses a variety of sensors and data points to record and evaluate the status of pregnancy. Embedded within it is an abstract ultrasound image, framed by glowing data veins that run across the building's facade like digital nerve pathways. A spiral of light and technology emerges from it – half telescope, half flower structure – and poses a question to the world: How can AI help save lives? The image shows what often remains invisible – the hope for safe childbirth, technological precision, and global responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence.
What role can art play in science communication?
Art can make complex content emotionally accessible and open up new approaches. In my academic work to date, I have primarily relied on traditional channels of communication. I am therefore all the more delighted that “Art Meets Science” is opening up a new, creative dimension of science communication.