A stage for neuroscience and art: the OHBM BrainArt SIG perspective

Science and art have been intertwined for centuries, as both embody means for humans to represent, communicate, and interpret our external and internal worlds. The collective effort to gather and organize knowledge about the brain blends well with a wide array of human creative activities, from visual and performing arts to interactive media. It thus comes as no surprise that the Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) has a Special Interest Group (SIG) dedicated to providing a platform for (neuro)sci-art: the BrainArt SIG.Here, after properly introducing all the main characters, we follow the development of this captivating script: from its grassroots prelude within the Neuro Bureau to its recent online instantiations. In particular, we highlight our three exhibitions since becoming an OHBM SIG – Ars Cerebri, 2019; Neurodiversity, 2020; Big Data and Me, 2021 – the associated competitions, and the scientific visualization sessions that have contributed to making brain art a distinguishing feature of the OHBM annual meetings, for both in-person and virtual formats.Our digital object, written as a piece of theater, ends by highlighting the ways art can help (neuro)science reach a wider audience as well as break out of its comfort zone: a productive happily ever after!