Art, science and inclusion: multisensory Sciart of immunology for blind, low‐vision and diverse‐needs audiences

Art is a powerful tool for conveying scientific discovery. Despite the perceived gap between art and science, as highlighted by CP Snow and others, examples of art communicating science can be found in the ancient world, the Renaissance and contemporary data visualization, demonstrating an enduring and historic connection. However, much of science relies on visual elements, excluding those with blindness, low vision and diverse needs, resulting in their low representation in STEM discourse. This paper introduces a novel science and art collaboration in the form of an exhibition program exploring the concepts of Immunology and Biomedicine to blind and vision‐impaired audiences, capitalizing on the lived experience of a legally blind artist. Employing multisensory design, art and co‐creation methodologies, it transcends traditional vision‐based science communication, showcasing the potential for multisensory art to bridge the gap at the intersection of science and inclusion.


CP Snow's 1959 Sir Robert Rede
Lecture flagged a contemporary perceptual chasm between art and science as "The Two Cultures". 1 However, abundant historical evidence attests to a deep and enduring connection between art and science, a relationship that also resonates strongly in the field of molecular biology.Pivotal discoveries facilitated by the light microscope and x-ray crystallography found their initial expression in pencil drawings of the DNA double helix, 2 and the use of watercolor drawings to represent protein structures. 3oday, this rich tradition continues in the form of a diverse array of data visualizations, encompassing illustrations, diagrams and computer-generated screenbased representations, all serving as powerful conduits for conveying biomedical knowledge. 4ith the exponential growth of biomedical research, data visualization faces increasing complexity in conveying its findings.The Worldwide Protein Data Bank (PDB), 5 now houses over 130 000 molecular coordinate entries, which platforms like Protopedia 6 utilize to generate 3D screen-based molecular animations for scientific communication.
In immunology, the need to represent structure, function and diverse temporal aspects has led to a wide array of data visualization formats, encompassing symbolic, schematic, graphic, cartoon and realistic depictions of proteins and viruses. 4ata visualization faces limitations in representing large datasets due to a finite set of visual attributes including color, saturation, intensity and animation frequency. 7This challenge becomes more pronounced when considering accessibility for individuals with different access requirements, including those with blindness, low vision and diverse needs (BLVDN), as the primacy of vision is premised in all these displays.The potential for multisensory communication in the form of Sciart may address these gaps.

Multisensory understandings
Multisensory display, also defined as data sensification, 8 and data physicalization, 9 engages two or more sensory modalities and has become an emergent field of data representation, including sonification and haptic forms of display.Employing a variety of tactile, auditory and haptic techniques to facilitate information access, this approach enables the comprehension of larger volumes of data within shorter time frames through techniques including sensory (e.g.auditory) pattern recognition 7 for any user, but most importantly, it may enhance the engagement for people with BLVDN.
Figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), 10 the World Blind Union, 11 the American Foundation for the Blind 12 and Vision Australia, 13 point to disparities in the number of individuals living with BLVDN completing STEM-based higher education, engagement in STEM-based careers or employment more generally. 14While the number of individuals with BLVDN reaches billions, scientific information, communication and science-related workplaces continue to provide challenges in accessibility.
Recognizing the need to make science more accessible, innovative projects such as NASA's 3D Tactile Hubble imaging 15 and Tactile Universe, 16 have used tactile and haptic data displays to explain complex scientific concepts.This shift to tactile methods offers simpler data representations for all people, including those with visual impairments, improving science communication for all.
Despite efforts in other scientific fields, there is little in the way of accessible data in biomedicine or immunology for people with BLVDN.The aim of our research is to explore the potential for multisensory data representation of immunology and its related topics, harnessing the lived experience of a legally blind artist, in conjunction with an interaction designer and scientists, showcased through highly accessible multisensory artifacts, displays and interactive exhibitions for BLVDN audiences.These multisensory innovations represent a contemporary evolution of the Sciart movement of preceding decades.

The potential for Sciart
The term "Sciart" 17 may have existed well before American physicist, artist and poet, Bern Porter employed it in his Found Poems, 18 and I've Left: A Manifesto and a Testament of Science and Art, 19,20 in the first half of the 20th century.As a concept, it was showcased at the Festival of Britain Science and Art Exhibition in 1951, 21,22 and by 1996 the term Sciart was in use by the Wellcome Trust, 23 a government-funded initiative dedicated to promoting public engagement with science and research through the arts.
Sciart encompasses various contexts, serving as an interdisciplinary collaboration that addresses public concerns about science, its risks and accountability, through artistic expression.It also acts as a tool for involving the public in scientific discoveries and experiments, embracing art-based and interdisciplinary approaches. 24ontrary to a divergence between art and science, recent decades have witnessed a reinvigorated emergence of numerous art-science collaborations, science-inspired art and terminology highlighting their interdisciplinary relationship. 25he Monash Sensory Science program aligns with the Sciart movement initiated by the Wellcome Trust, aiming to engage public discourse in science.It places special emphasis on engaging BLVDN audiences through multisensory artmaking, design and co-creation methodologies.As such, we may define our work as the creation of "multisensory Sciart." Therefore, this research seeks to address the following question: How can multisensory Sciart help make science more accessible and engaging for BLVDN audiences?

METHOD
As a legally blind artist collaborating within an immunology lab alongside an interaction designer, we have leveraged the lived experience of blindness to explore innovative ways of conveying immunology concepts through multisensory formats.
Delving into scientific literature related to immunology, data banks containing information on protein structures and other sources, we discover concepts, data and themes that can be creatively explored.
Art-based practices in the production of multisensory Sciart include observational drawing, digital artwork creation, the investigation of a diverse range of materials in preliminary sculptural explorations, and experiments in interactive installation and display.The choice of methods, materials and approaches is often determined by the scientific content being communicated.
When developing exhibitions, we also collaborate with scientists in a co-creation process to generate theme-specific content and create tangible, multisensory representations of the research output produced by these scientists.
During these workshops, we provide scientists with a range of materials such as playdough, food, clay, paper and found objects and encourage them to explore multisensory artmaking.The result may be models or tactile posters depicting immunology concepts.Through the multisensory approach, familiar objects from the environment can stimulate memories or carry textural information to heighten scientific understandings utilizing artistic methods and materials provided during the sessions.Occasionally, data representation of research findings is also achieved through sonification in collaboration between scientists and the interaction designer.
In this process, artifacts and displays may undergo an iterative cycle, with an analysis of their accessibility, aesthetics, tactile appeal and effectiveness in conveying valid research data.Our artmaking in turn is informed from the scientists this way, affording another iteration.In the final stages leading to the development of an exhibition piece, enhancements such as large font, braille labels and tactile interfaces including vibration circuits and sounds are integrated into the artifacts.Through the collaborative effort of artist, designer and scientists, this co-creation process provides valuable insights into how a multisensory Sciart approach can significantly improve science communication for individuals with diverse needs.
To date, this multisensory co-creation approach has yielded a diverse collection of artifacts, interactive science books and prototype-accessible displays.This ongoing effort is geared towards building a substantial body of work and exhibitions, while concurrently developing a taxonomy to define the realm of multisensory Sciart.A range of multisensory Sciart created by the authors, and artifacts co-created with scientists, is shown in Figure 1, with images taken from exhibitions from 2018 through to 2023.

Data process and techniques
A fundamental insight we have gained in this research involves the necessity of establishing a cohesive "language" that encompasses color, texture and form when creating accessible artifacts.
We have observed that when BLVDN people move around different displays and exhibits feeling different objects, for example in an exhibition space, it may be hard to recognize items in a variety of contexts and displays.If a particular cell has been created with a certain shape, color and surface texture within one display and it has a different shape texture or color in another display, this may cause confusion.
For instance, in our multisensory representation of T cells, we consistently employ shades of blue to signify these cells, with variations in blue tones denoting different T cell types.Different T cell types will also have different tactile surfacesfor instance, cytotoxic T cells may have arborio rice encrusted on their blue surface, while other types of T cells display a smooth gem-like nucleus on their surfaces with small silver sparkles, see Figure 2. In contrast, B Memory cells are depicted as yellow or gold and associated antigens are also a similar color to denote their relationship to B cells.Dendritic cells take on a pink hue and delicate frond-like forms that can be articulated in paper or even clay, depending on where they are being displayedcreated in paper for a book, created in clay for a 3D display.Tactile representations of myeloid progenitor cells incorporate distinct textural elements compared with lymphoid progenitor cells, and these distinctions are maintained in related tactile representations of their associated cell lineages.
Living with blindness, low vision and diverse needs means navigating the world through a range of other senses and in the context of visiting a science exhibition to explore unfamiliar concepts of immunology can increase cognitive overload.For this reason, the authors believe consistency is vital when creating accessible artifacts or collaborating with scientists to create exhibition content, as a consistent language for the artifacts will aid in the memorization and comprehension of artifacts and the concepts they represent, enhancing the experience for our audiences.
As we continue to develop multisensory Sciart exhibitions, we are increasing our understanding of how audiences interact with these accessible artifacts and experiences.How haptic interpretations of data may differ from tactile through vision-biased representations, and their subsequent impact on understanding information through non-visual forms, is becoming more evident as our work progresses.
Several other discoveries made to date during the research into multisensory Sciart for BLVDN audiences includes the potential for such designs to increase accessibility for all, not just for BLVDN audiences.This enables non-BVLDN audiences to "see the world" through the eyes of those without vision or with vision impairment.This also includes not only loved ones, carers and friends of those with a disability visiting our exhibitions, but also the scientists who participate in the creation of our multisensory Sciart exhibitions, strengthening their communication capabilities and enhancing their engagement not only with the public but also within and between the scientific research and university communities.

DISCUSSION AND LIMITATIONS
While the development of multisensory Sciart is innovative and promising in its potential to make science and immunology accessible to diverse audiences, it does face certain limitations and challenges.
7][28][29] The use of 3D printers can help, although these also require time, expertise, and the fact that most 3D models result in the same, plastic surface texture with little opportunity or variety of textural experience or the ability to convey further information using other materials. 302) Complexity of Scientific Concepts: Some scientific concepts are inherently complex and abstract.Representing them in a tactile or multisensory format may simplify the concepts to a point where they lose some of their intricacy or accuracy.collaboration can be a hurdle.(

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many of the multisensory artworks produced for the Monash Sensory Science Initiative could not have been made without the support and assistance of the Rossjohn lab, including Jamie Rossjohn, Jenny Huynh, scientists and disability interns who assisted in the production of the interactive science books and exhibition works including other researchers, students and volunteers who contributed to the artifacts and exhibits described in the pages of this issue.In

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.A compilation of multisensory Sciart created by and with the authors, for sensory science exhibitions.From left to right, top row: (1) a tactile representation of a monocyte, (2) audience member touching a T cell in the multisensory science book, (3) detail of tactile retina map, (4) researcher presenting at the Cancer Research exhibition, (5) Lego blocks describing immune cell interactions, (6) exploring immunity with tactile models during exhibition, (7) a virus made of pasta, (8) learning about vaccines in a multisensory science book, (9) exploring DNA mutations in a tactile model, (10) Couscous HIV capsid.Centre row from left to right: (1) interactive chess board on cancer and immunity, (2) HIV capsids encrusted with glass shards, (3) a little blue T cell, (4) smallpox virus model with throbbing elwire DNA, (5) sparkly red blood cells, (6) map of rotavirus structure with pasta and red lentils, (7) illuminated glass shard HIV capsid, (8) close up of smallpox sculpture surface, (9) exhibition goers exploring tactile poster, (10) reading multisensory science books at an exhibition.Bottom row from left to right: (1) Scientist exploring exhibits with young exhibition visitors, (2) a braille inspired amino acid sculpture, (3) insides of a yeast cell sculpture with popcorn and bread dough, (4) sculpture of a rhinovirus cell, (5) two macrophage sculptures catching bacteria in their hessian tendrils, (6) a display of tactile posters, (7) rotavirus sculpture, (8) a young audience member at a sensory science exhibition, (9) a braille inspired amino acid sculpture, (10) a tactile poster on cancer and immunity.Photos of artworks by the authors, photos of exhibitions and attendees by Gerard Hines of HinesSight Photography.
(3) Subjectivity in Interpretation: Artistic interpretations of scientific concepts can be subjective, potentially leading to different understandings or misinterpretations of the underlying science.(4) Accessibility Challenges: Ensuring that tactile representations are truly accessible to individuals with diverse needs can be challenging.Different disabilities may require different approaches, and it can be difficult to cater to everyone's unique requirements.(5) Limited Engagement: Some visitors might not have prior experience with tactile or multisensory art, leading to potential challenges in engaging them effectively.It can take time for individuals to adapt to these new ways of experiencing information.(6) Evaluating Impact: Measuring the effectiveness of such initiatives in enhancing understanding and inclusivity can be challenging.It's not always easy to quantify the impact of art-science collaborations on the target audience.(7) Expertise and Collaboration: Effective collaboration between scientists, artists and designers requires strong communication and understanding of each other's domains.Finding individuals with the right expertise and fostering productive

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Towards a multisensory language of Immunology Sciart, using the color blue to code T cell representations across divergent modalities, (1) exploring different T cells in an interactive science book, (2) representing T cells as blue, B cells as yellow or orange, dendritic cells as pink, (3) a sculpture of a T cell using soft blue, frond-like wool.Photos from (left) Gerard Hynes, (center and right) by the authors.
addition, special thanks to Creative Victoria for funding the Interactive HIV Project (2020), the ARC Centre of Excellence in Molecular Imaging for funding the development and exhibition of our Prototype Interactive Science book, The Heroes Within You (2020) and Inspiring Australia National Science Week Grants 2021 and 2023 for the development of the My Goodness Interactive Science Book development and exhibitions.Open access publishing was facilitated by Swinburne University of Technology, as part of the Wiley -Swinburne University of Technology agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.ª 2024 The Authors.Immunology & Cell Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology, Inc.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.