VBC-ERN (Paint Your PhD 2009) // Event

The inspiration for the “Paint your PhD” event came from the molecular biologist Christoph Campregher, who works in cancer research at the Medical University of Vienna. The “Paint your PhD” activity was the highlight of the Vienna Biocenter European Researchers’ Night 2009. 15 scientists painted live for 1 hour, inspired by their research topics, in front of an audience and with musical accompaniment from the internationally renowned pianist Paul Gulda, who performed a live improvisation inspired by the science paintings. A jury selected one painting in the categories team leader, post-doc, PhD student. The paintings were then auctioned, with one fetching an astounding €1,000. The remaining 12 were later sold through ebay raising more than € 3,000 for the St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute. “Paint your PhD” proved to be successful not only in meeting its objectives, but also in attracting sponsors, scientists and media. Many of the paintings are now displayed in the research institutes. It was an event that left lasting impressions, on many levels, for both the audience and the scientists/artists.