Jennifer Steinkamp: Madame Curie

The Tampa Museum of Art’s inaugural multi-media exhibition in the Bronson Thayer Gallery celebrates two female trailblazers: scientist Marie Curie (Polish-French, 1876-1934) and artist Jennifer Steinkamp (American, b. 1958). Curie remains the only woman awarded two Nobel Prizes for her groundbreaking scientific discoveries and research. Born nearly a century later, Steinkamp is internationally recognized for her monumental installations that unite art with technology. Pioneers in their respective disciplines  – science and art  – the exhibition Jennifer Steinkamp: Madame Curie highlights the remarkable work of both women. This presentation also launches the Museum’s new media and immersive art initiative, a milestone in our institution’s programming history.

Like Marie Curie, Steinkamp has long been inspired by science and how science transforms humanity. For over 30 years, she has been making site-specific art exploring the relationship between nature, power, and gender. With advances in technology and her affinity for design and coding, Steinkamp viewed the computer as a tool to make art. Madame Curie, commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in 2011, was informed by Steinkamp’s investigations into the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station, a decommissioned power plant located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Her research inevitably led her to Marie Curie’s trailblazing work in physics and chemistry, specifically Curie’s revolutionary research on radioactivity and the discovery of polonium and radium.

While reading Curie’s biography, authored by the scientist’s daughter Eve Curie, Steinkamp noticed flowers and gardening were mentioned throughout the book—a passion that coincided with her love of science. Steinkamp created animation renderings of over 40 flowers mentioned in Curie’s biography. In Steinkamp’s Madame Curie, billowing stems of apple blossoms, daisies, eucalyptus, passion flowers, periwinkle, and wisteria float, tumble, and cascade across the gallery’s walls. The layered blooms create the perception of infinite space and continuous time. For the Tampa Museum of Art’s exhibition of Madame Curie, Steinkamp created a version of the animation specific to the gallery’s architecture. In this immersive installation, Steinkamp emphasizes the beauty of nature and how it brought Curie a sense of wonderment and joy throughout her life.