Muse Science & Humanities Program As a Tool to Welcome, Investigate and Illuminate the Anthropocene in a Science Museum

The oral contribution will present the MUSE Science & Humanities cultural program as a vehicle for engaging with the Anthropocene theme in a science museum context. Started in 2020, the MUSE Science & Humanities (S&H) Program is part of the overarching MUSE Anthropocene initiative that reflects the museum’s commitment to address the pressing environmental and societal challenges of this era. By blending scientific rigor with the creativity of the arts, MUSE aims to foster a deeper understanding of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental sustainability through an articulated portfolio of post-disciplinary exhibitions, conferences, publications, masterclasses, collaborations, site specific art, music, dance and theatrical installations. Through these practices, the S&H Program presents the Anthropocene not merely as a scientific concept but as a lived reality that demands to the audience both intellectual engagement and emotional reflection, transcending populist gestures, and offering participative experiences that prompt visitors to critically reflect on humanity's role in shaping the planet’s future.

The presentation will account of how the S&H Program was conceived to act as a “contact zone” where scientific knowledge and artistic perspectives could converge to spark dialogue among diverse actors, audiences and backgrounds. In line with the session’s theme of art as a medium for climate change mediation, the presentation will put forward practical examples of emblematic program initiatives. “Agorà”, a new museum space for hybrid projects, and “Collezione Antropocene” the first Italian public art collection dedicated to Anthropocene, will be presented as key outputs of the program. MUSE’s efforts align with broader questions about how museums can serve as platforms for climate action. Through collaborative and bottom-up projects, the Science & Humanities Program and the Anthropocene Initiative try to transform MUSE into a dynamic space for fostering environmental awareness, cultivating global-local connections, and inspiring actionable change in response to the Anthropocene challenges.