- The iconic Clock Building of the Port Authority of València (PAV) has hosted an international exhibition of humorous cartoons focused on scientific and technological milestones of all times that has attracted the curiosity of 9,150 people
- From 20 December 2023 to 4 February 2024, visitors to ‘Ciencia, Innovación…Y mucho humor’ (‘Science, Innovation… And a lot of humour’) have been able to see nearly 200 cartoons inspired by scientific discoveries, research and characters signed by cartoonists from more than 30 countries
- Within the framework of the exhibition, experiment workshops have been held for families, children and young people in schools, associations, institutes and day centres
València, 6 February 2024.- The conjunction ‘humour and science’ has been the tandem that has attracted 9,150 visitors to the iconic Clock Building of the Port Authority of València (PAV). The exhibition of cartoons ‘Ciencia, Innovación…Y mucho humor’ has remained open from 20 December until 4 February, satisfying the curiosity of families, tourists, schools, institutes, associations and day centres who have discovered that science, innovation and technology can also be learnt through humour.
Focusing on the informative character that graphic humour is capable of imprinting on complex subjects and concepts such as science and innovation, the exhibition consisted of nearly 200 cartoons signed by cartoonists from more than 30 countries and from different periods, highlighting how humour can become a vehicle capable of integrating knowledge and cultural, environmental and social values.
Lukyan, Ortifus, Musa Gomus and Hamid Soufi are just some of the cartoonists who have brought this exhibition to life and who, with their works full of wit, have been able to bring scientific knowledge to us through laughter and irony.
‘Ciencia, Innovación…Y mucho humor’ – in line with the exhibition series on graphic humour that the PAV began six years ago – has highlighted the immaterial value of humour as a channel of scientific communication. Art historian Ester Medán, curator of this exhibition organised by the Port Authority of València (PAV) in collaboration with the Quevedo Institute of the Arts of Humour of the University of Alcalá de Henares, aimed with this exhibition “to show how humour has the capacity to attract people to subjects that are complicated, such as in this case science, innovation or technology. Humour can make us think and reflect on how all these contributions of science affect people”.
More than 300 participants in the workshops
As part of the exhibition, 15 workshops were held for families, children and young people, in which they were able to experiment with science. In this way, the curiosity of more than 300 visitors was aroused in the field of research and innovation, while at the same time encouraging critical thinking.
Each workshop session was designed to introduce the participants to the fascinating world of science through practical and fun experiments such as: making a rocket out of vinegar and bicarbonate; washing in a glass; a lemon battery; observing the magical reflection of water; making snow or salt crystals; making snow or salt crystals; and making a battery of lemons; making snow or salt crystals, among others. In addition, the children were able to make their own vignettes and display them on a special panel. Pupils from Hogar Nuestra Señora del Rosario School, students from the Fuente de San Luis Institute and the Popular University, users of the UCA Grao Padre Porta, the Cuidiscap Day Centre and the València Acquired Brain Injury Association were some of the groups who, together with numerous families, were able to enjoy these workshops.