The Nobel Conference has long been an esteemed tradition at Gustavus Adolphus College, bringing together some of the brightest minds each year to share their insights with the student body and the public. What makes this conference unique is its multidisciplinary approach, incorporating perspectives from the sciences, humanities, and arts.
The 2024 Nobel Conference, Sleep, Unraveled, delves into the importance of a good night’s sleep. Artist and St. Olaf College Associate Professor Michon Weeks contributes to the conversation with her installation, Between Dreams, at the Schaefer Art Gallery. In a recent interview, Weeks shared insights into her work and artistic journey.
Weeks has a personal connection to Gustavus Adolphus College. “I’m excited,” she shared. “I have three sons, two of whom studied biology at Gustavus, so I’ve been aware of the college and the Nobel Conference for a long time. I’m thrilled to have my work featured in this year’s event.”
When asked how she was invited to participate, Weeks explained, “Professor Nicholas Darcourt reached out to me after recognizing that my work resonated with the theme of consciousness explored in the 2024 Nobel Conference, Sleep Unraveled. While dreams occur during sleep, my work emerges from a state of heightened awareness while awake, bridging the known and the unknown.”
She went on to say, “A key aspect of my practice is paying close attention and listening in a meditative, contemplative way. I aim to enter a relaxed, altered state of consciousness when painting, which Darcourt felt aligned naturally with the theme of sleep.”
The paintings’ titles in the exhibition are drawn from the writings of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a 20th-century French paleontologist, Jesuit priest, and mystic.