Last weekend I observed the event "Color Light Motion: Claudia Schnugg" and I greatly enjoyed it. Schnugg was very well-versed in the subject and showed many beautiful pieces. All throughout the comment section during the zoom session, there were so many comments about the beauty of each example and it was very neat to hear us all collectively in awe.
My favorite part was learning about how people have conceptualized what we will leave behind on Earth in the case that we have to evacuate to another habitable planet. I found this concept very fascinating and it got me thinking about the potential of extraterrestrial life in a more fast-approaching way.
Above are some of the examples that caused many to share their shock of the beauty. Work done by Clyde Lynds is very unique in that she has done art in so many different forms, it is very impressive to have such a wide array of talents(Clydelynds). Further, I enjoyed learning about Yiannis Kranidiotis and his work on "The Tipping Point". It felt like a very pure representation of the balance between art and science, it got me thinking about how I could incorporate more unique themes into my final project(“NaturArchy Residencies: Tipping Point @ JRC | SciArt”).
Finally, in my experience during this event, the piece by Alejandro and Moira Sina stood out to me. The piece above is what led me to leave a comment in the chat and looking at more of their work has piqued my interest in working with light and technology(“Alejandro & Moira Sina”).
I remember the first time I had a teacher tell us to imagine the scale of infinite space. She said it should be an uncomfortable thought, and over the course of my life it has not gotten any more comprehensible to me. My interest in space has been furthered this week when learning about the important ties between art and the advances of space technology.
In doing my research, I enjoyed reading about Nasa's inclusion of names of people across the globe with a poem sent to Europa(Bardan). This is an example of artistic influence on scientific endeavors.
(NASA)
I was truly amazed by the structure pictured and described on the Cultural Center of European Space Technologies website. Shown below is the building that captures both the scientific feats of modern architecture and a very artistic rendering of metal cylinders and glass(KSEVT). I was very impressed by this example of how art and the history of space travel influenced innovation.
(KSEVT, “KSEVT Building”)
In learning about Richard Clar, it was very exciting to learn that he made great contributions to Nasa through his philosophically oriented art in space projects. They not only were artistic but also contributed to solving issues like orbital debris and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence(Art Technologies).
(Art Technologies, “Art by Richard Clar”)
Another example of space and art together comes from the Cosmic Dancer. This project had to be both compact and lightweight which was a very technical factor of being in space, yet there was still an emphasis on style which was very neat to see(Cosmic Dancer). Lastly, I look forward to more pioneers of art like Chelsey Bonestell leading the way in space and artistic innovation. Looking at his work, I was really taken back to that feeling as a kid imagining the expansiveness of the universe(Chelsey Bonestell).
Works Cited
Art Technologies. “Art by Richard Clar.” Art Technologies, 2005, www.arttechnologies.com/. Accessed 2 June 2023.
---. “Website of Richard Clar and Art Technologies, a Collaboration between Space Technology and the Arts.” Arttechnologies.com, 2023, www.arttechnologies.com/. Accessed 3 June 2023.
Bardan, Roxana. “NASA Invites Public to Sign Poem That Will Fly Aboard Europa Clipper.” NASA, 2019, www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-public-to-sign-poem-that-will-fly-aboard-europa-clipper. Accessed 3 June 2023.
Cosmic Dancer. “The Spaceflight of the Cosmic Dancer: Arthur Woods : Space Artist.” Cosmicdancer.com, 2023, www.cosmicdancer.com/the_spaceflight_of_the_cosmic_dancer.php. Accessed 3 June 2023.
KSEVT. “KSEVT.” KSEVT, 2014, www.ksevt.eu/about. Accessed 3 June 2023.
---. “KSEVT Building.” KSEVT, 2012, www.ksevt.eu/about. Accessed 2 June 2023.
NASA. “Message in a Bottle.” NASA, 2023, www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-public-to-sign-poem-that-will-fly-aboard-europa-clipper. Accessed 2 June 2023.
Whenever I get overly anxious about something, I think about how on the scale of the universe we are all just specks of dust and it does not really matter if I get an A or a B on a test. Its such an abstract thing to imagine our size compared to the universe and it reminds me of how hard it is to imagine something as small as nanotechnology. It is hard to picture 1/50,000 of a human hair as described in "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of fact and fiction in the construction of a new science"(Vesna and Gimzewski).
(Johnson)
In the Ted Talk by Paul Rothemud, we learn about how significant even the smallest change can have on an organism as far as its DNA(Rothemund). I have always been interested in genes and how crazy it is that something so long and susceptible to change can make so many humans correctly down to every organ and eyelash. Similarly in Ray Kurzweil's Ted Talk we learn further about the exponential differences that we see in fast past technological advancements(Kurzweil).
The Nanomandala was very interesting to me, I loved the concept of images projected onto sand. It is so beautiful but also speaks to how small a canvas can be and still be impactful(“Art in the Age of Nanotechnology on Art.Base”). In the clip from "Making Stuff: Smaller" the idea of a microrobot smaller than bacteria was introduced(“Making Stuff: Smaller”). It has amazed me in this weeks content how difficult it is to visualize the size of objects, it gives me further assurance that yes I care about school, but at the end of the day we are all at a nano-level scale in this universe.
(Vesna)
Works Cited
“Art in the Age of Nanotechnology on Art.Base.” Art.Base, 2023, art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology#12. Accessed 24 May 2023.
Johnson, Jeff. “Nanorobots.” The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science, 2001.
Kurzweil, Ray. “A University for the Coming Singularity.” Ted.com, TED Talks, 2020, www.ted.com/talks/ray_kurzweil_a_university_for_the_coming_singularity?language=en. Accessed 24 May 2023.
“Making Stuff: Smaller.” Pbs.org, 2023, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/making-stuff-smaller/. Accessed 24 May 2023.
OpenLearn. “The Scale of the Universe from Atoms to Galaxies.” OpenLearn Free Learning from the Open University, 2023. Accessed 24 May 2023.
Rothemund, Paul. “DNA Folding, in Detail.” Ted.com, TED Talks, 2023, www.ted.com/talks/paul_rothemund_dna_folding_in_detail?language=en. Accessed 24 May 2023.
Vesna, Victoria. “Nanomandala.” Art.Base, 2010, art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology#12. Accessed 24 May 2023.
Vesna, Victoria, and Jim Gimzewski. “The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science.” Ucla.edu, 19 Mar. 2003, vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm. Accessed 24 May 2023.
This week when Professor Vesna mentioned the mystery of dreams it really got me interested in this weeks material. I have been able to have lucid dreams throughout most of my life and it has always been so interesting to me that we forget most of our dreams and I have been curious as to what causes scary or realistic dreams. In The Embodied Mind, the concept of cognitive science is described as not a formal science, our understanding is still expanding which makes this topic of the mind and technology so relevant(Varela et al.).
(Getty Images)
The mechanics of the mind and the reason that humans need sleep is a fascinating subject to me. Christopher deCharms TED talk about how we will eventually be able to watch our own brains made me curious if this process will allow us to understand the mechanics of dreams better in the future(deCharms). Similarly, in Vesna's project titled "Planetary Re-Enchantment: Human-Animal Entanglements in Victoria Vesna's Octopus Brainstorming", the representation of neural rhythms from EEG headsets shows how technology and the workings of our brains is growing in understanding(Albu).
(Vesna and Cohen)
I wonder if this technology can be used in ones sleep and how would those colors be highlighted during someone's dreams. In Gardner's Art, Mind, and Brain the development of the mind and conceptual thought is discussed. I liked reading about how a child can understand and visualize a ball before they can understand any mechanics of how a ball works(Gardner and Gardner). I wonder how researching child's dreams would broaden this understanding of how children perceive the world around them. In the Global Consciousness Project, the concept of interconnected consciousness is discussed and the project aims to continue research that has been done over the past 35 years(Nelson). In doing research for this week, this concept made me want to look further into the subject.
(The Global Consciousness Project)
Works Cited
Albu, Cristina. Www.sfu.ca, 2016, www.sfu.ca/cmajournal/issues/issue-ten--enchantment--disenchantment--reenchantment/cristina-albu.html?fbclid=IwAR1twyrqbeKqNrJSUXSihLVGvX_D9ARndxDv3USnw2pTENE_iXHJtIo8v54. Accessed 16 May 2023.
deCharms, Christopher. “A Look inside the Brain in Real Time.” Ted.com, TED Talks, 2023, www.ted.com/talks/christopher_decharms_a_look_inside_the_brain_in_real_time?language=en. Accessed 16 May 2023.
Gardner, Howard, and E. Gardner. Art, Mind, and Brain. 2008.
The Global Consciousness Project. “The Science of Collective Consciousness | Roger Nelson, the Global Consciousness Project.” The Science of Collective Consciousness , youtu.be/ufWPPSh0oPc.
Varela, Francisco J., et al. The Embodied Mind : Cognitive Science and Human Experience. The Mit Press, 2016.
Vesna, Victoria, and Mark Cohen. Art|Sci Collective, Octopus Brainstorming. 2016.
Last week I attended the "Four L.A.S.E.R. talks: Regenerative Medicine, Dada, Vermeer, More than Human Time" on Zoom. While all four talks were very exciting and enjoyable to listen to, I am going to focus on Thomas Haakenson's talk about Kurt Schwitters and the Dada Resistance. Haakenson did a great job following up on Ravi Majeti's talk on Regenerative Medicine and really pulled me in as he spoke about this artist and the legacy he left behind as the historical art myth.
(The Art Story)
Haakenson spoke about Schwitters work titled Merzbau. This piece really intrigued me, it was a piece Schwitters worked on from 1923 to 1937 and was actually both his studio and the art itself. It has been called an art-historical myth as it was destroyed by an Allied bombing raid and was never seen again(Thomas). There were a total of eight rooms in this piece but the photographs of it come from just the main room(Orchard).
(Redemann)
I really enjoyed learning about this unique art form and the artist himself. Kurt Schwitters was known for his collages, use of unique materials, music, and poems(“Kurt Schwitters”). The most fascinating of his work however is the immersive experience of Merzbau. This piece has been recreated at the Sprengel Museum and I would love to visit someday. They claim it cannot be fully accurate but I would love to understand the 3-dimensional space that he worked in and gain an appreciation for the geometry and artwork(Thomas).
(Sprengel Museum Hannover)
Overall, I greatly enjoyed watching the four L.A.S.E.R. talks and gaining such an array of knowledge from very accomplished speakers. It was such an experience to go from learning about finding ways to cure cancer to a very unique art form, it really felt like a reflection of this course. This event will help me explore all forms of art and the broad types of experience they can bring to the viewer. I highly recommend joining one of these events, and I hope to join more in the future.
Works Cited
“Kurt Schwitters.” The Art Story, The Art Story, 2013, www.theartstory.org/artist/schwitters-kurt/. Accessed 16 May 2023.
Orchard, Karin. “Kurt Schwitters: Reconstructions of the Merzbau – Tate Papers | Tate.” Tate, 2022, www.tate.org.uk/research/tate-papers/08/kurt-schwitters-reconstructions-of-the-merzbau. Accessed 16 May 2023.
Sprengel Museum Hannover. “Kurt Schwitters Merzbau, Reconstruction by Peter Bissegger.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/research/tate-papers/08/kurt-schwitters-reconstructions-of-the-merzbau. Accessed 16 May 2023.
The Art Story. “Kurt Schwitters Portrait.” The Art Story Contributers, 5 Aug. 2006, www.theartstory.org/artist/schwitters-kurt/. Accessed 16 May 2023.
Thomas, Elisabeth. “MoMA | in Search of Lost Art: Kurt Schwitters’s Merzbau.” Moma.org, MoMA, 2016, www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/07/09/in-search-of-lost-art-kurt-schwitterss-merzbau/. Accessed 16 May 2023.
Personally, I have understood medical technologies in relation to art as a very fascinating form. A member of my extended family has a cosmetic prosthetic ear that was put in place following an accident they were in. It is incredible how biological art can be so functional and also aesthetically pleasing. I connected this experience to the art collection by Christophe Luxereau called Detached Pieces(“Christophe Luxereau : Arts / Pièces Détachées”). In this collection, he shines a light on the concept of biomechanical support and how restorative surgery has become so normal in our society(“Christophe Luxereau : Arts / Pièces Détachées”).
(Quang)
Reading about the "Mission Eternity" was a bit shocking in how they seek to contain digital fragments of "soul"(Mission Eternity). I think this concept is beyond my understanding of how life after death is currently understood in science. I found the content provided on WEHI.TV to be very informative, ideas about how the human body works is animated for easy comprehension (The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research). Art is necessary for this display of information, it allows ideas to be expressed in a digestible way.
(“Breast Stem Cells (2010) Etsuko Uno Wehi.tv”)
The sculptures titled Breed are an interesting representation of cell division, generated by a computer program to demonstrate evolution (Notnot). I was intrigued by this demonstration and it reminded me of how brands like Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat have used cell reproduction to make vegan "meat" options.
(Notnot )
Virgil Wong was the most impressive person I studied this week. I think his achievements in optimizing how patients can interact with their healthcare providers and his use of art to visualize the human body is very exciting for future innovations in biological art (Virgil).
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, editor. “About WEHI.TV.” WEHI, 12 Sept. 2017, www.wehi.edu.au/wehitv/about-wehitv. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
I really enjoyed my time at LACMA, although I've lived in LA for about five years now I had never been before. I found the floor with the "Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age, 1952-1982" exhibit and was sucked in by the first piece I watched, METAVASARELY and An Empty Room. They were very different from the exhibit on the third floor I started out at which highlighted abstract art and work done by Picasso. These pieces had motion and had aspects that the viewer could interact with.
Both of these pieces were made by artist Casey Reas out of respect to Victor Vasarely who envisioned them but during the 1960's it was too expensive of a project to be realized. METAVASARELY has an interactive component that can be accessed through this link.
The piece pictured above is titled "Simulated Color Mosaic" by Hiroshi Kawano. This piece was interesting to me because he used probability to create each square of color and the result resembled a true expression of creativity such as a Piet Mondrian which similarly had many squares of varying color but not generated by a computer.
I greatly enjoyed my time exploring this exhibit, each piece was very different but had a similar excitement around it due to it stemming from a time of innovation. I would definitely recommend this exhibit to others in this course, and beyond this exhibit, the entire museum and area around the museum were worth the visit.
