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bettinaforget.bsky.social
Bettina Forget
@bettinaforget.bsky.social
280 followers 210 following 110 posts
Director of the SETI Institute's Artist in Residence program.
Ph.D.-er at Concordia University (I should be writing). Artist.

https://www.bettinaforget.com
https://imaginealiens.com

#sciart #steameducation #aliens
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bettinaforget.bsky.social
Big news this month: @setiinstitute.bsky.social launched two new projects! We announced six phenomenal artists nominated for the Planetary Futures public art residency, and Cosmic Chronicles, a new literary prize for emerging writers and poets. More in our newsletter: www.seti.org/news/seti-ai...
A collage of images, featuring a radio telescope, a portrait of an artist, a microorganism with many tentacles, and an abstract illustration of planets.
July 24, 2025 at 6:54 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Great @setiinstitute.bsky.social article about how the creation of bioart can help to visualize biogenesis, the study of the origin of life. Read about how artist Jennifer Willet brought the scientific work of Drake Award winners David Deamer and John Baross to life:
www.seti.org/news/dreams-...
The artwork "Dreams of Biogenesis" by Jennifer Willet, collage, 2025. This work is a riot of colours. A graphic depiction of cell division spirals outward from a central point in the composition, set on a background of rays mostly in pale blue, teal, and turquoise. Illustrations of deep-sea creatures, corals, and extremophiles provide red and orange accents. In the far background, barely visible in the joyous cacophony of colours, a volcano and a depp-sea vent are visible.
July 18, 2025 at 2:48 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Just launched: @setiinstitute.bsky.social's Planetary Futures, a public art residency that explores planetary science, with a focus on climate research. Six nominees have been invited to submit a project proposal for the SETI AIR Planetary Futures residency:
www.seti.org/news/seti-in...
A graphic of overlapping red an blue-striped spheres floating on a a starfield
July 16, 2025 at 3:08 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Two powerful solo shows by indigenous women right now at the National Gallery of Canada: Nadia Myre and Skawennati. Reflecting on colonial pasts and projecting into Indigenous Futures. Poignant, lyrical, funny, and uplifting.
Nadia Myre A page of Canada’s Indian act, red and white beads replacing the typed text. A view of one of the exhibition rooms featuring Nadia Myre’s work. A canoe, made of half metal and half wood, sits in the centre of the room. Three large circular photographs of beads at the back wall looks like galaxies. Bettina, wearing headphones, stands in front of a flatscreen watching Skawennati’s video work They Sustain Us. In the background are mannequins wearing costumes of the virtual characters in the video. Bettina walks up the stairs to the first floor in the National Gallery of Canada. The photo emphasizes the dramatic architecture of the stairs, walls, and coloured ceiling, with Bettina in the centre of the vanishing lines.
July 8, 2025 at 1:08 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
My first Jane’s Walk! And I got roped in to marshal the crowd.
What a wonderful way to honour visionary activist Jane Jacobs, whose ideas about urban planning, liveable cities, and “third spaces” shaped much of contemporary design and architecture.

#janeswalk
Photo of Bettina Forget holding a Jane’s Walk flag, Ottawa’s National Gallery and Louise Bourgeois’ sculpture Maman in the background. Photo of a group of about 40 people in front of Ottawa’s National Gallery, gathering below Louise Bourgeois’ sculpture Maman. Photo of a small group of people gathering in front of a sculpture in Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. A young woman is holding a Jane’s Walk flag.
May 3, 2025 at 7:17 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Back alley poetry
April 25, 2025 at 10:55 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Look what I found during my stop-over in Toronto: Kim’s Convenience! This is the location where the TV series was filmed. Of course, I went in and bought a few things. Sadly, Mr Kim was not behind the counter. Oh well.
Ok, see you!
Photo of the facade of a convenience store. The sign reads Kim’s Convenience, 7 Days a Week.
April 22, 2025 at 9:33 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Every Easter, I make a card and treats for my neighbours in the building, typically with a nod to current events. This year, it’s Elbows Up Bunny.
Chocolate eggs are a decent antidote to news-induced nihilism.

#HappyEaster
Photo of a table covered with small brown paper bags. On the front of each bag a card is attached with red and white striped ribbon. The card has a cartoon rabbit on it wearing a red shirt that says “Elbows Up” in white letters. A card with a cartoon rabbit on it wearing a red shirt that says “Elbows Up” in white letters.
April 19, 2025 at 7:24 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Decisions, decisions...
April 10, 2025 at 9:29 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Words of wisdom spotted on a parking meter
Photo taken on a sidewalk, with a parking meter in the foreground that has a sticker on it. The sticker reads: Creativity is not a to do list. Creativity is a wild god.
April 7, 2025 at 1:04 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Billionaires in Space!
Loving my new t-shirt.

I've been a fan of Icelandic cartoonist Hugleikur Dagsson ever since I spent a month in Olafsfjordir for an art residency. His humor is pretty dark, and I find myself laughing despite my better judgment...
Photo of a woman (that's me) in a blank leather jacket wearing a lilac coloured t-shirt. The cartoon on the t-shirt shows a black line drawing of four rotund men in tophats tied to a giant firecracker with a lit fuse. The hand-lettering at the bottom of the drawing reads "Billionaires in Space"
March 18, 2025 at 2:56 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Happy International Women's Day!
A few years ago, I got a guided tour of the Women’s Library of the London School of Economics. The curator showed me original banners from the Suffragette movement, dating back to 1907 - 1917, that women carried during the Women’s marches.
Suffragette banner dedicated to author Jane Austen. The name Jane Austen is on the top of the banner in capital letters, her dates 1775 - 1817 below. An icon of an open book and a writing quill are at the bottom. The banner is about 1m x 2m, coral red and beige striped fabric, with a gold fringe at the bottom. Suffragette banner dedicated to astronomer and mathematician Mary Somerville. Her name is printed in white capital letters on a dark blue background. In the center of the image is the icon of a golden armillary sphere. Her dates, 1780 - 1872, are at the bottom of the banner. Suffragette banner dedicated to doctor Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the USA. The name, Elizabeth Blackwell MD, and her birthdate, 1849, are stitched in large gold capital letters onto an olive-green silk fabric. At the bottom of the banner is an icon of a chalice with a snake wound around its stem. Suffragette banner dedicated to astronomer Caroline Herschel. Visible in the photo is her name, embroidered in capital letters, onto a striped white and core background. Just visible below is a depiction of a circular star chart.
March 8, 2025 at 3:45 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Phenomenal set by the Thievery Corporation last night in Montreal. They are on tour - my recommendation is to grab tickets if they show anywhere near you!
Also loved Flamingosis' opening set, especially the (all too brief) dance number he threw in.
thieverycorporation.com/tour/
Photo of the interior of a music theatre in darkness, the stage bathed in red light. The circular Thievery Corporation logo is projected behind the band. Percussionists and guitarists are on the stage. Photo of the interior of a music theatre, focusing on the stage. An upside-down US flag is projected behind the band. Three guitarists and two percussionists are seated in a semi-circle on the stage. Photo of the interior of a music theatre, the stage bathed in pink light. The Flamingosis logo superimposed on a colourful illustration of a car is projected behind the artist, who is standing behind his DJ station.
March 7, 2025 at 3:38 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Goodbye Audible, Hello Libro.fm!
I love supporting local bookstores, and @dandq.bsky.social is one of my faves. Should have made the switch earlier...

And to mark the occasion, I left a snarky comment on Audible's feedback page. For what good it'll do. But hey, I feel better.

Take that, #tariffs.
Screenshot from Audible's "Let us know why you canceled" page. I ticked "other reason" and wrote "Mr. Trump's appalling 25% tariffs on Canada and his "51st state" annexation threats. I'm boycotting all US goods and services. Screeshot of the Libro.fm webpage shoting the Libro.fm logo and the Drawn & Quarterly Bookstore logo
March 4, 2025 at 4:10 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
A special treat at Montreal’s Nuit Blanche: a free Philip Glass concert by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. My friends had their young kids with them, and they were absolutely hypnotized. What a fantastic way to introduce contemporary classical music to new audiences.

#Montreal #Canada
March 2, 2025 at 2:59 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
It’s “tire” time: pour maple syrup onto fresh snow, let it solidify a bit, and then roll it up to make an extremely deciduous snack!
One of the highlights of last night’s Nuit Blanche in Montreal.
The sugar rush helped me fight the cold while partying outside in winter at -15*C 🍭❄️🍭❄️🍭❄️

#Canada
March 2, 2025 at 2:43 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Always stand up to bullies.

#slavaukraini
A cartoon showing Darth Vader pointing at Princess Leia. The two speech bubbles from Darth Vader read "Why aren't you grateful?" and "Why aren't you wearing a suit?"
March 1, 2025 at 2:55 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Just installed Flashes and I'm conflicted: should I connect it to my existing Bluesky account or set up a new one?
What are your thoughts?
The Flashes app logo superimposed on a dark sky with lightning strikes
February 25, 2025 at 5:09 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Reading the news, I often feel overwhelmed by frustration and disbelief, and I wonder what I can possibly do to stem the tide of awfulness. Right now, my small contribution is to buy Canadian. It's actually super easy to find local products, and I'm not spending more. US groceries are canceled.
A selection of Canadian groceries, including dairy (Beatrice, Astro, Lactania), apples, celery, cucumber, raw sugar (Sunbec), herb tea (Celestial Seasonings), dried split peas (Clic), mayonnaise (Artisan), peanut butter (Nurture), chocolate spread (Allo Simone), and ham (Les Fermes Valens)
February 24, 2025 at 5:26 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Your moment of Zen. Lovely little Moon game right now if you click on this month's Google Doodle.
Screenshot of the February 2025 Google Doodle showing a cartoon-style illustration of a Moon face in gold and dark blue tones Screenshot of the Google Moonphase game, showing playing cards featuring different Moon phases.
February 22, 2025 at 3:20 AM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Please pick up after yourselves. Thanks.
Cartoon by S. Gross. Black line art on white paper. A giant hand, covered in a transparent plastic bag, is reaching down from the sky to pick up a Nazi who is also reaching down, hand covered in a transparent plastic bag, to pick up his dog's turd.
February 20, 2025 at 4:25 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Happy Flag Day!
I painted this maple leaf after I broke my wrist a couple of years ago and started practicing to paint with my left hand (that’s a sketch of my X-ray on the right).
It was soon healed and good as new. Just a speed bump. A reminder that we can get through anything. Stay strong! 🍁🍁🍁
Two pages of a sketch book. On the left, a painting of a maple leaf in red with orange, yellow, and green accents, on the right a painting of an x-ray of a broken wrist in bright blue and white.
February 15, 2025 at 5:18 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Trade war stressing you out?
“51st Cherished State” joke wearing thin?
Here’s a little something to cheer you up. Ms Fluffypants when she was 12 weeks old, toying with her first chew stick.
February 4, 2025 at 9:42 PM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
Snapped this with my phone. What a lovely sight!
A very thin crescent Moon with Venus sparkling just above it in the early evening sky
February 2, 2025 at 1:50 AM
bettinaforget.bsky.social
“We are caught in our own creation: the industrial, technological sublime.”

Wonderful (if somewhat rambling) talk by artist Edward Burtynsky yesterday at Concordia University. His epic photographs capture humanity’s intervention in nature: both beauty and tragic destruction.
Edward Burtynsky and a moderator on the stage. Above the two is a projection of one of Burtynsky’s images, capturing the spiral drill marks in a mine tunnel.
January 23, 2025 at 5:55 PM