Viviane Silvera

Viviane Silvera joins UW–Madison as the Division of the Arts’ Spring 2026 Interdisciplinary Artist-in-Residence from April 13–24, in partnership with the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery.
Her residency activates collaborations across the arts, sciences, and health fields through public events, classroom engagements, and community-centered workshops exploring memory, caregiving, perception, and creative resilience. Guest artist Sophia Michelen joins the residency April 13–17 for select engagements focused on visual storytelling and interdisciplinary dialogue.

Viviane Silvera is an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose work bridges painting, neuroscience, and mental health. Working across film, animation, and visual art, she explores how memory is formed, altered, and healed, translating complex scientific ideas into deeply human stories.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Brazil, Silvera studied political science and psychology at Tufts University before earning her MFA from the New York Academy of Art. Her award-winning animated documentary See Memory combines more than 30,000 hand-painted frames with interviews from leading neuroscientists, including Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel. The film has screened internationally, aired on PBS, and received a Telly Award for its innovative blend of science and storytelling.

Her work has been exhibited at institutions including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Art Basel Miami, and is held in university collections at Duke, Penn, and Vanderbilt. Through collaborations with scientists, clinicians, and caregivers, her practice positions art as a tool for reflection, dialogue, and resilience.

As an artist-in-residence, Viviane will bring her interdisciplinary expertise to UW–Madison, creating opportunities for cross-disciplinary engagement in psychology, neuroscience, and the arts. Her residency will foster collaboration between these fields, helping students and faculty explore memory, trauma, and the potential for art to support healing.