INDIANAPOLIS, IN.- Two new exhibitions at the Indianapolis Museum of Art explore the surprising role of science and technology in understanding and preserving valuable works of art.

What Lies Beneath: Secrets Under the Surface of Paintings, on display in the Damon C. and Kay D. Davis Lab, is the second exhibition in the CSI (Conservation Science Indianapolis) Series. The exhibition illustrates how X-ray and infrared imaging technologies can reveal important clues hidden beneath the surface—clues that provide curators, conservators and conservation scientists with critical information on the authenticity of the work and original intent of the artist.

Three paintings from the IMA collection were selected to be featured in the exhibition, because of the interesting facts they reveal when examined with x-ray or infrared imaging techniques. For example, on display is one of Charles Baugniet’s famous oil paintings, Washington’s Birthday (1878). Through an interactive touch screen, guests can see the hidden objects and details that were discovered beneath layers of this painting. When revealed, a new scene emerges.

Explore the details of these stories, and try your hand at using an infrared camera to examine and interpret a painting of your own. See what secrets you can discover in this interactive exhibition.

On display in the Susan and Charles Golden Gallery, Chemistry of Color is the third exhibition in the CSI series. It tells the fascinating history of the search for new and brilliant colors by artists, as well as the intertwined stories of some of the scientific breakthroughs that created them. Historically, artists’ pigments came from odd sources, like cow urine and arsenic poisons. Some of these unusual colorants, like the carmine dye extracted from crushed insects, are still used to color artworks and foods today.

The exhibition explores the rich history and chemistry of 12 colorants. Through works from the IMA’s permanent collection and interactive videos, Chemistry of Color shows the processes used to manufacture these colorants, as well as the scientific techniques used to identify them in artworks.

One colorant featured in the exhibition, Egyptian blue, was recently discovered by IMA’s Otto N. Frenzel III Senior Conservation Scientist Greg Smith along with scientists at Curtin University to benefit modern fingerprint analysis. The exhibition also offers a rare opportunity to view the blackest material on earth, Vantablack. Whether you’re an art lover or a scientist, Chemistry of Color will fascinate you with the science behind the art.

“Many people think of the arts and the sciences as two opposing worldviews, but the CSI series shows the rich interface between the two that has existed throughout history and continues to be relevant today,” said Smith. “The art museum becomes a fantastic place to teach and learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) concepts.”

What Lies Beneath runs until Aug. 6, 2017 and Chemistry of Color is open until Dec. 31, 2017. Both exhibitions are included with general admission and free for IMA members.