Event 3: Weak or No Signal

This past week I attended the MFA Design Media Arts Thesis Show titled: Weak or No Signal. Upon entering, I could already tell that the exhibit would be especially relevant to the content in this course. Weak or No Signal featured pieces that made the observer contemplate the social commentary that surrounds modern social media relations, artificial intelligence, emerging technology, and “the increasing fallibility of the image” (Weak or No Signal). I personally enjoyed the exhibit very much; I’ve always been a fan of science museums and seeing these students’ works combine art and technology was fascinating. I would highly suggest this exhibit for any student trying to experience something that compiles the course material into a single, mind-blowing, collection. 

One of the exhibits that particularly stood out to me was Bound in Points (Zero Point Field according to artist’s handout) by Elí Joteva. Not only was it incredibly visually stimulating, but reading about the technology that went into its creation reminded me of how many of the tools I learned about in chemistry and life sciences labs can also be used as instruments like IR depth laser scanning to create breathtaking displays of art (Wall text for Zero Point Field).

Zero Point Field. Throughout the video I used

the camera to focus on different parts of the 

display to better capture how it looked to the

naked eye.

Another exhibit I enjoyed was the collection compiled by Sarah Rosalena Brady consisting of three pieces titled: The Desert, The Animist, and The Virus. All three displays took inspiration from nature and used 3-D scanning technology to assist in the modeling and eventual assembly of these stunning pieces. The Animist took inspiration from bald eagle talons and combined these talons with robotics to make an exhibit with very artificial, “random” movement. What I mean by this is that compared to robots assembling cars in Tesla’s “inhuman” factory (DeBord) or robots cooking full meals (Huen), this piece’s short, jolted movements embodied the humble beginnings of robotics and artificial intelligence.

The Virus

I also had the pleasure of being immersed in one of the pieces titled Waking the Giant Within by Kristin McWharter. This VR piece placed me in a surreal experience involving waiting seemly endlessly in a waiting room while a voice continually prompted/encouraged me to just “wait a little longer” because it “would be worth it.” I didn’t make it to the end, which according to Kristin would be after a “very long” time.

Me in a virtual waiting room as part of Kristin
McWharter's contribution to the exhibit:
Waking the Giant Within.

Overall, I look forward to attending to more exhibits like this next year on campus. 

References

DeBord, Matthew. “Tesla's Future Is Completely Inhuman - and We Shouldn't Be Surprised.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 20 May 2017, www.businessinsider.com/tesla-completely-inhuman-automated-factory-2017-5.

Huen, Eustacia. “The World's First Home Robotic Chef Can Cook Over 100 Meals.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 31 Oct. 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/eustaciahuen/2016/10/31/the-worlds-first-home-robotic-chef-can-cook-over-100-meals/. 

UCLA Design Media Arts. Weak or No Signal. New Wight Gallery: UCLA Design Media Arts, 2018. Print.

Wall text for Zero Point Field, by Elí Joteva. Weak or No Signal, 18 May-31 May 2018, New Wight Gallery, UCLA.

Week 9: Space + Art

The iconic Pillars of Creation. Two images taken from the
Hubble Space Telescope, the left on the visible light spectrum
and the right on the infrared light spectrum. From this, one can
easily see how space's beauty inspires artists.

This week’s topic of space brought the entirety of course material together. My initial thought when thinking about how space and art have been connected since ancient times was how ancient civilizations created art based on what they believed the cosmic bodies they observed in the night sky meant. Constellations took the form of animals and warriors, and deities were assigned to what we now call planets. Humanity’s fascination with the cosmos has led to countless cultural and scientific developments. One notable scientific development was Copernicus’s depiction of a heliocentric universe and Galileo’s and Kepler’s later affirmation of this revolutionary model that led to the foundation of Newtonian physics and the remarkable science that followed (Brown).

However, artists’ contributions to humanity’s understanding of space cannot be overlooked. Artists are just as fascinated and inspired by the universe as are scientists, and their work has led to some incredible discoveries. Kip Thorne, physicist at California Institute of Technology, crossed the border between the two cultures when he reached out to director Christopher Nolan and visual effects studio Double Negative in order to make a realistic movie about black holes: Interstellar (Aaron). Their daunting task was to create an accurate depiction of a spinning, supermassive blackhole. In the movie’s development, both scientists and artists worked together to get the beautiful phenomenon displayed on screen in the movie. In fact, in order to get more realistic pictures, Double Negative had to make novel modifications to their code in order to capture the true accuracy of the black hole (Vincent). In the end, artists were given power to adjust how the final visualization appeared on screen so that audiences would best understand the physics. It’s these visualizations and graphics developments that could help scientists model more cosmic phenomena in the future.

Obayashi's Concept

But before humanity looks into interstellar space travel, companies on Earth are currently looking for cheap, efficient ways to just get into Earth’s orbit. Japan’s Obayashi Corporation took inspiration from Arthur C. Clarke’s concept of a space elevator. Obayashi now plans to have a functioning space elevator by 2050 that would connect Tokyo to an orbiting space station 22,000 miles above Earth’s surface (Gaia). A space elevator’s construction would be the perfect marriage between space’s cultural and scientific influence over society. 

The space elevator is an ambitious project that relies on the scalability of carbon nanotubes by 2030 (Gaia). Right now, there are artists like Arthur R. Woods, who refers to himself as an astroartist, that are creating sculptures specifically for their presentation in the weightless environment of space. Woods also is the founder of the OURA Foundation, a cultural and astronautical organization dedicated to introducing, nurturing, and expanding a cultural dimension to humanity’s astronautical endeavors (Woods).

In 1993, Woods's Cosmic Dancer sculpture 

was the first 3D artwork officially 

sent into space.

It’s amazing to see how the great expanse of our universe inspires both scientists and artists, leading to collaborations that push both research and the art field forward. I look forward to seeing what developments will come in the next few decades and hope to be alive when interstellar travel is realized.

References

Aaron, Jacob. “Interstellar's True Black Hole Too Confusing.” New Scientist, New Scientist, 13 Feb. 2015, www.newscientist.com/article/dn26966-interstellars-true-black-hole-too-confusing/. 

Brown, Michael J. I. “Copernicus' Revolution and Galileo's Vision: Our Changing View of the Universe in Pictures.” The Conversation, Monash University, 30 May 2016, theconversation.com/copernicus-revolution-and-galileos-vision-our-changing-view-of-the-universe-in-pictures-60103. 

Gaia. “Japanese Company Expects to Have Space Elevator Built By 2050.” Gaia, Gaia Latest, 29 Jan. 2018, www.gaia.com/lp/content/japan-space-elevator/. 

Vincent, James. “Interstellar's Fake Black Holes Are Helping Actual Scientific Research.” The Verge, The Verge, 16 Feb. 2015, www.theverge.com/2015/2/16/8044457/interstellar-black-hole-simulations-science. 

Woods, Arthur. “Cosmic Dancer - a Space Art Intervention by Arthur Woods.” Cosmic Dancer 2.0: Arthur Woods : Space Artist, www.cosmicdancer.com/arthur_woods_artist_biographical_information.php.

Bibliography

Aaron, Jacob. “Interstellar's True Black Hole Too Confusing.” New Scientist, New Scientist, 13 Feb. 2015, www.newscientist.com/article/dn26966-interstellars-true-black-hole-too-confusing/.

Arthur, Woods. “Cosmic Dancer - a Space Art Intervention by Arthur Woods.” The Cosmic Dancer Sculpture - a Spaceart Intervention on the Mir Space Station by Arthur Woods, cosmicdancer.com/.

Brown, Michael J. I. “Copernicus' Revolution and Galileo's Vision: Our Changing View of the Universe in Pictures.” The Conversation, Monash University, 30 May 2016, theconversation.com/copernicus-revolution-and-galileos-vision-our-changing-view-of-the-universe-in-pictures-60103.

Carlisle, Camille M. “New Look at Eagle Nebula.” Sky & Telescope, 11 Jan. 2015, www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/new-look-at-eagle-nebula-0112201423/.

Gaia. “Japanese Company Expects to Have Space Elevator Built By 2050.” Gaia, Gaia Latest, 29 Jan. 2018, www.gaia.com/lp/content/japan-space-elevator/.

James, Oliver, et al. “Gravitational Lensing by Spinning Black Holes in Astrophysics, and in the Movie Interstellar.” Classical and Quantum Gravity, vol. 32, no. 6, 13 Jan. 2015, pp. 1–41., doi:10.1088/0264-9381/32/6/065001.

Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, Uconlineprogram, 29 July 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZIqTR332l8.

Vincent, James. “Interstellar's Fake Black Holes Are Helping Actual Scientific Research.” The Verge, The Verge, 16 Feb. 2015, www.theverge.com/2015/2/16/8044457/interstellar-black-hole-simulations-science.

Woods, Arthur. “Cosmic Dancer - a Space Art Intervention by Arthur Woods.” Cosmic Dancer 2.0: Arthur Woods : Space Artist, www.cosmicdancer.com/arthur_woods_artist_biographical_information.php.

Woods, Arthur. “Cosmic Dancer - a Space Art Intervention by Arthur Woods.” The Cosmic Dancer Sculpture - a Spaceart Intervention on the Mir Space Station by Arthur Woods, cosmicdancer.com/. 

Week 8: Nanotechnology + Art

This week’s topic of nanotechnology reminded me a lot of the material I’ve been learning in one of my other courses this quarter. I never really considered how large a nanometer (nm) was when memorizing that clathrin-coated pits were 100-150 nm in diameter, or that particles between 60 and 400 nm tend to allocate in regions with cancer due to the enhancer permeability and retention effect. I simply designed nanoparticles with the appropriate size not considering how abstract this nano-scale in relation to the human experience. However, upon learning that a human hair is 50,000 nm across, I had to stop and try and grasp what order of size this new field of science and technology is working with (Gimzewski and Vesna).

IBM holds the Guinness World Record for World's

Smallest Stop-Motion Film, created by moving

individual carbon monoxide molecules using a

scanning tunneling microscope.

Graphite Nanoparticles by Cris Ofrescu. Because many
nanoparticles are smaller than the wavelengths of visible
light, many images appear grey and white. It is up to the
interpretation of the artist to colorize the images for the viewer

When science fails to conceptually explain topics, sometimes it’s better to go to the arts and humanities to try and gather a better understanding. Art and media graphics have always had a way of making the miniscule and abstract appear understandable to the ordinary eye (Lovgren). In addition, scientists will also cross the border between the two cultures if they feel that their work can better be explained through art instead of jargon-filled text. In 2006, Cris Orfescu became fascinated by the molecular “landscapes” of various materials he observed in his lab and began to use these landscapes as inspiration for his art – coining the term “nanoart” (Feder). He proceeded to hold annual competitions for other artists that also drew inspiration from images of nanoscale landscapes. However, nanoscale objects are extremely difficult to image, in fact, we weren’t able to get any sort of image at the nanoscale until the development of the scanning electron microscope (Gimzewski, Nanotech pt. 2). These artists’ goal is to spark a curiosity in the general public so that the masses can better understand nanotechnology and thus support, rather than resist, the new age technology and medicine that nanoscience will inevitably pioneer.

Scanning Tunneling Microscope used by IBM.

The extremely small scale of nanotechnology has made it a target for research and funding because of its potential to solve so many of the impasses other scientific and technological fields face. This is because many of these obstacles involve physics at the macroscale, however as we shrink to the nanoscale, the laws of physics change and quantum effects dominate (Gimzewski, Nanotech pt.1). These new phenomena are much less explored, and thus researchers, artists, and entrepreneurs alike are all interested in what potential nanotechnology holds. I, myself, am excited for nanotechnology to lead the charge for a new paradigm shift in scientific research and the many problems society faces that nanotechnology will provide a solution for.

References

Feder, Barnaby J. “The Art of Nanotech.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2008, bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/the-art-of-nanotech/.

Gimzewski, Jim. “Nanotech Jim pt1.” YouTube, Uconlineprogram, 21 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE.

Gimzewski, Jim. “Nanotech Jim pt2.” YouTube, Uconlineprogram, 21 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEp6t0v-v9c.

Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. “The Nanoneme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact and Fiction in the Construction of a New Science.” Technoetic Arts, vol. 1, no. 1, Jan. 2003, pp. 7–24., doi:10.1386/tear.1.1.7/0.

IBM. “A Boy And His Atom: The World's Smallest Movie.” YouTube, IBM, 30 Apr. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSCX78-8-q0.

IBM100. “Scanning Tunneling Microscope.” IBM - Archives - History of IBM - 1880 - United States, IBM Corporation, www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/microscope/.

Ofrescu, Cris. “Nanotechnology Art Gallery.” Nanotechnology Now, 23 Feb. 2017, www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/Cris-Orfescu.htm.

Lovgren, Stefan. “ Can Art Make Nanotechnology Easier to Understand?” National Geographic News, National Geographic Society, 23 Dec. 2003, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1223_031223_nanotechnology.html.

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

The brain has and will continue to boggle scientists and fascinated artists for generations to come. In neuroscience, the brain is responsible for all bodily functions, voluntary and involuntary, and for all of our individual thoughts, conscious and unconscious.

An interesting mind exercise is to think about how you define death. Pop culture perpetuates this idea that death occurs when the heart stops, and that people can be brought back to life. But death has been found to be a continuous process that occurs not in the heart, but in the brain, which is why legally, death is defined as the “irreversible cessation of all functions of the brain,” or brain death (Braincraft; Singh).

George Dunn and Brian Edwards presenting their piece
"Self Reflected" at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia

This is why I think both scientists and artists alike are so fascinated by the brain. The idea that a 3-pound mass of neurons and ganglia encapsulated in every individual’s skull defines every single interaction that individual has with the world, effectively defining who that person is, seems surreal (University of Washington; Vesna, Lecture 1). From an engineering standpoint, modeling the brain to be able to do what nature has perfected seems impossible. From an artistic standpoint, capturing the sublime beauty embodied by such a powerful organ also seems impossible (and ironic).

Such captivation in the mechanics of the brain have led artists to pursue a deeper understanding of the brain’s response to art. There are many studies that have researched, at a base level, the link between color and psychological function in humans. Colors are present everywhere in the world, in our dreams, and are an important factor in many of our everyday decisions. Our minds build color-meaning connections that are either innate or acquired throughout life, and these connections can have involuntary effects on our minds and bodies (i.e. red’s association with dominance) (Elliot and Maier). A deeper understanding of our mind’s color-meaning connections is an important tool for artists in both the artistic realm and commercial realm (i.e. advertising). For scientists, these connections can be exploited for potential therapeutic treatments.

How some colors trigger innate responses by the brain and how
these responses can be exploited for better marketing.

Lastly, when I think about neuroscience and art, my mind jumps to psychology and the Rorschach Test. This inkblot test is a projective test designed by Hermann Rorschach to presumably reveal hidden emotions and internal conflicts of the tested. In essence, it attempts to link unconscious response to the inkblots with the conscious mechanism of thought formation and speech (Gargasz).

The ten official inkblot cards of the Rorschach Test.

References

DashBurst. “How to Use the Psychology of Colors When Marketing.” Small Business Trends, Small Business Trends, 6 May 2018, smallbiztrends.com/2014/06/psychology-of-colors.html.

Drinker, Will. “Giant Artwork Reflects The Gorgeous Complexity of The Human Brain.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 June 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brain-art-franklin-institute_us_576d65b3e4b017b379f5cb68.

Elliot, Andrew J., and Markus A. Maier. “Color Psychology: Effects of Perceiving Color on Psychological Functioning in Humans.” Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 65, no. 1, 26 June 2013, pp. 95–120., doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115035.

Gargasz, Zbigniew. “Zbigniew Gargasz | BLOG.” Zbigniew Gargasz BLOG, 28 Nov. 2011, www.gargasz.info/psychology-inkblot-test-secret-behind-10-inkblot-cards-images/.

Singh, Maanvi. “Why Hospitals And Families Still Struggle To Define Death.” NPR, NPR, 10 Jan. 2014, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/01/10/261391130/why-hospitals-and-families-still-struggle-to-define-death.

University of Washington. “Brain Facts.” Parmenides, Stage 2, faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ffacts.html.

Vesna, Victoria. YouTube, Uconlineprogram, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI.

Week 6: BioTech + Art

BioArt is an intrinsic part of the development of science, and specifically for me as a bioengineering major, the biotechnology field of science. BioArt and the work of “outlaws and hackers” brings to light particular niches in the biotechnological community (usually genetic) that would’ve otherwise been ignored by “Big Bio” (Kelty). As a result, these niches draw attention to the new aesthetic interpretations, ethical concerns, and social effects that come with any new field of art.

"Biohackers" push the boundaries of ethics and biotechnology
by using themselves as a subject for their experiments, usually
involving genetics and taking place in their garage or basements.

Ethical concerns are especially relevant in this case because BioArt often triggers something in the heart and gut of the public. People have specific reactions to the scientific manipulation of life that is dependent on the social conditions they were raised under (i.e. family influences, religion). However, I also believe that BioArt should be triggering to at least some degree to get the viewer to rethink something about what it means to be alive. Where should artist’s draw this line? In the end I think that artists should have similar restrictions as scientists when it comes to protecting the health and safety of the public. However, there is little precedence on what should be a baseline on the ethical restrictions that should be placed on BioArt, so in this aspect, I feel that artists should be free to do as they please, as long as their art does not harm other living organisms.

The Eight Day by Eduardo Kac

Eduardo Kac’s The Eighth Day is a transgenic piece that investigated fluorescence in creatures by introducing to viewers what a world where only transgenic creatures exist and how a purely fluorescent world would look. Although fluorescent organisms are all different, they are all connected through their genetics in that their fluorescence all stem from the GFP coding gene. This piece includes a biobot that used the migration and proliferation of bioluminescent amoebas as its “brain.” Changes in the amoebas caused changes in biobot’s six legs, which allowed it to move around the exhibit. Something I thought was interesting about this particular experiment/project was how it also roped in the idea that transhumanism doesn’t necessarily apply just to humans, because enhancing these amoebas’ mobility via technology is analogous to the transhumanism movement.

Schematic for the compilation of fluorescent
creatures in Kac's The Eighth Day.

Life itself is a miracle, and its manipulation in the name of art is the only way to expose its hidden beauties. Humans and all living organisms are complex machines with secrets that we have only begun to understand.



References

eJournal of Arts and Technology. “The Eighth Day.” Crossings - Gallery - Kac - The Eighth Day, 

       crossings.tcd.ie/gallery/Kac/Eighth_Day/.

Kac, Eduardo. “THE EIGHTH DAY.” NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ENIGMA, www.ekac.org/8thday.html.

Kelty, Chris. “Meanings of Participation: Outlaw Biology?” Journal of Science Communication, Mar. 2010.

Savastio, Rebecca. “Biohacking: Exciting Science or Terrifying Threat? · Guardian Liberty Voice.” Guardian Liberty Voice, 15 Aug. 

       2016, guardianlv.com/2014/09/biohacking-exciting-science-or-terrifying-threat/.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 BioArt pt4.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7.

Event 2: The Construction of the Environment in Epigenetics Research

Pinel and I after her presentation.

This presentation by Clemence Pinel piqued my curiosity because I learned about epigenetics in a previous course and wanted to learn more. To my surprise, Pinel is a social scientist from King’s College London, and the presentation was on how researchers can gain this intangible currency of credibility, and then “exchange” this currency for actual funding for research, not about epigenetics. This credibility currency could be earned by boosting a research lab’s resume in three fields: profitability, mobility, and versatility ("The Construction of the Environment in Epigenetics Research, Pinel). This credibility is exchanged between labs through research collaborations that involve exchanging human/laboratory resources and expertise. The goal of these exchanges was to maximize results while minimizing costs.

Clemence Pinel

I found it interesting how Pinel portrayed scientists as being forced out of their comfort zone of research and into the marketing world as entrepreneurs, or “wild capitalists” as Bruno Latour calls them. Latour advocates eliminating the distinction between the social and technical elements of science, thus blending one’s marketability with one’s research content (Vrieze). Similar to starving animals forced to leave their home territory in search of food, researchers are starved of funding and forced to adapt themselves to a new competitive playing field if they are to attain funding for their research.

However, researchers are now also forced to change their topics of research (i.e. environmental factors in epigenetics research) to maximize their marketability. Certain environmental factors such as smoking and alcohol provide strong, conclusive results, which is what many financial backers want to see come out of the research they invest in.

Smoking by a pregnant mother can lead to epigenetic effects
3 generations into the future

Lastly, I found it upsetting that, in the end, even science has been bought out by money and what is researched is controlled by the wealthy. I believe research can be exploratory and does not always have to yield market profit, but unfortunately, that is not the world we live in. In addition, funding by investors that have a financial interest in the outcome of experiments breed conflicts of interest that lead to biased conclusions (Belluz et. al.).

As a bioengineer going into this world of research, I found this presentation valuable, but slightly disheartening, to prepare myself to seek credibility through collaborations and market myself as a profitable investment opportunity. I would advise anyone who plans on going into the world of research to attend a talk hosted by Pinel or at least look into the conclusions Pinel presented on.

References

Belluz, Julia, et al. “The 7 Biggest Problems Facing Science, According to 270 Scientists.” Vox, Vox, 14 July 2016, www.vox.com/2016/7/14/12016710/science-challeges-research-funding-peer-review-process.

Pinel, Clémence. "The Construction Of The Environment In Epigenetics Research: A Social Study". 2018.

Pinel, Clémence. “Clémence Pinel (@Clemencepinel).” Twitter, Twitter, 14 May 2018, twitter.com/clemencepinel.

Shaw, Jonathan. “Is Epigenetics Inherited?” Harvard Magazine, 14 Apr. 2017, harvardmagazine.com/2017/05/is-epigenetics-inherited. 

Vrieze, Jop de. “Bruno Latour, a Veteran of the 'Science Wars,' Has a New Mission.” Science |

AAAS, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 10 Oct. 2017, www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/bruno-latour-veteran-science-wars-has-new-mission.

Week 4: Medtech + Art

This week, I was introduced to new connections between medicine, technology, and art. From the Renaissance era of human dissections to the modern world-famous Body Worlds exhibition, artists have slowly moved from using paper to using the human body as the canvas for one’s work. The improvement of technology over the course of the last century has led many artists to use their own bodies as their canvas. Notably, Orlan held exhibitions where viewers would watch her receive plastic surgery to emulate many famous artworks throughout history. This idea that artists would go so far as to manipulate their own bodies to blur the lines between art and medicine is shocking.

Orlan in one of her performances.

Orlan's and Katz's operations on themselves reminded me of a man named Josiah Zayner, who is taking the supposedly multimillion dollar experiments involving gene therapy and performing them on himself to show that they can be cheap and accessible to everyone. He live-streams this gene-editing, or as he calls it: biohacking, process on his blog “Science, Art, Beauty.” His work is fascinating because not only is what he is doing a statement against big medicine corporations, but its also an attempt to help the general public with people who suffer from gene-related diseases. In this way, one could compare his motivation to that of Diane Gromala, who also seeks to help those with diseases that cause chronic pain. Below is a video of Zayner giving a presentation and delivering to himself gene therapy to ideally improve muscle gain.

Another thing these body-modifying artists reminded me of a body modification trend pioneered in Canada, but dominant in Japan a few years ago called bagel head. It involves a saline injection to the forehead to create a temporary bagel-shaped swelling. This body modification art scene was sensationalized by international media outlets and fetishized by the underground Japanese community. This 21st century temporary body modification brought something that was purely medical in the past, saline injections, and brought it to the world of physical aesthetic.

Bagel heads that can be injected in one or two locations on the
forehead of patients. They usually last between 6-24 hours

As medical technology improves, it seems there is no limit to which individuals and artists will employ the new technologies as a medium of self-expression and exploring new art forms. I look forward to what new medical technologies await and how these technologies will be employed in creating artwork to make the world around us a more fascinating place to be alive.


References

Gromala, Diane. “TEDxAmericanRiviera - Diane Gromala - Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty.” YouTube, TEDx Talks, 7 Dec. 2011, youtu.be/cRdarMz--Pw.

McCall, Rosie. “This Biohacker Became The First Person To Edit His Own DNA.” IFLScience, IFLScience, 20 Nov. 2017, www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/this-biohacker-became-the-first-person-to-edit-his-own-dna/.

Misener, Jessica. “WATCH: 'Bagel Heads' Are Asia's New Beauty Trend.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 Sept. 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/bagel-head-forehead-injections-japan-saline_n_1916188.html.

Rosenberg-Carlson, Marissa, et al. “Controversial Performance Artist ORLAN Transforms Herself at the Alianza Francesa.” Bubblear.com, 12 June 2017, www.thebubble.com/controversial-performance-artist-orlan-transforms-herself-at-the-alianza-francesa/.

Sinclair, Alexis. “Bagel Head Saline Forehead Injections: Japan's Weird Body Art.” Smash.com, 11 Apr. 2018, www.smash.com/bagel-head-saline-forehead-injections/.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt1.” YouTube, Uconlineprogram, 21 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/Ep0M2bOM9Tk.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt2.” YouTube, Uconlineprogram, 21 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/psjnQarHOqQ.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt3.” YouTube, Uconlineprogram, 22 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/FIX-9mXd3Y4.

Zayner, Josiah. “Science, Art, Beauty.” Science, Art, Beauty, 13 Oct. 2017, www.ifyoudontknownowyaknow.com/.

Event Blog 1: Acoustical Visions

My head upon arriving to the presentation.

I had the pleasure of attending Bill Fontana’s talk on Acoustical Visions. It was on campus in the Broad art center, a building I’ve been to several times throughout college to support my friends’ works over the years. This particular afternoon, the room hosted Bill Fontana, a sound sculptures pioneer. He was always fascinated by sound and began to take special notice in the act of listening. It was this attentiveness that allowed him to develop the idea that sound is a physical medium that can change and redefine relationships to spaces. Just like clay is the medium for a sculptor, sound is Fontana’s medium.

Fontana focused on bringing landscapes, things that would otherwise be purely visual media, to life by giving them an element of auralization. One example he gave was his work with foghorns in the Bay. He collected sound samples from different foghorns throughout the region and relayed their audio to a single location. By doing this he reduced the real space between the noises, adding a time structure to his art. Another example was his work with the desert, which he said sounded very similar to the ocean. He thought that it was interesting that the ocean once existed over this desert, stating that perhaps he is hearing the ghost of the ocean. 

What he spent a lot of his talk on was his work with the iconic 25 de Abril Bridge in Lisbon. The final piece, entitled “Shadow Soundings” was a compilation of video footage and audio samples from different locations all over the bridge. He said he explored the geometry of structure of the bridge to try and gather different sounds to create an overall immersive and enervating experience for the viewer. 

"Shadow Soundings"

His art, however, would not be possible without the technological innovations of film and seismic accelerometers. He opened the talk with a “sound sample” taken from a sculpture from the UCLA’s sculpture garden. However, sculptures don’t make sound, so he gathered this “sound” by placing a seismic accelerometer on the surface of the sculpture, allowing him to record the sculpture’s microvibrations as a result of the ambient sound present in the sculpture garden that morning. He continued to use this method of sound collection, essentially delivering to his audiences what sculptures and structures “hear” themselves. I thought this was a brilliant use for something typically used to just measure the vibrations of Earth to detect earthquakes. Fontana utilizes accelerometers to bring earth and man-made structures to life. This collaboration between technology and art is exactly the type of connection we strive to discover in this course.

A typical accelerometer that Fontana might use when collecting audio samples.

Extra: Fontana's Favorite Sounds is a link with a video containing some of Fontana's favorite sounds that I found fascinating.

References:

Ahmed, Afshan. “Bill Fontana on Making the Sand Sing.” The National, The National, 17 Mar. 2014, www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/art/bill-fontana-on-making-the-sand-sing-1.309447.

Furtado, Will. “Bill Fontana: Making Music From Lisbon's Most Famous Bridge.” Sleek Mag, 8 Nov. 2017, www.sleek-mag.com/2017/11/07/bill-fontana-shadow-soundings-bridge-art/.

Gadanho, Pedro. “BILL FONTANA. SHADOW SOUNDINGS.” MAAT, www.maat.pt/en/exhibitions/bill-fontana-shadow-soundings.

“High Sensitivity Accelerometers.” High Sensitivity Accelerometers, www.mmf.de/seismic_accelerometers.htm.

Whiting, Sam. “Artist Bill Fontana Is of Sound Mind.” San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Aug. 2017, www.sfchronicle.com/art/article/Artist-Bill-Fontana-is-of-sound-mind-11818413.php.

Week 3: Robotics + Art

Technology mimics film when Apple released the iPhone 4 in
2010 with Startrek-inspired Facetime.

This week, I found the connection between the speed of dispersion for a particular media and how this affects the perception of the beholder. In his essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin compared a painting to a film. The beholder of a painting may sit and contemplate its existence, progressively developing a meaning unique to the mind of the beholder. On the other end of this spectrum is film, where each scene is on screen for only a few seconds before a new scene is introduced, giving the beholder an opportunity to experience only a reactionary response.

I will return to the influence of film, but this week I also enjoyed how art was assigned some sort of role. Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press gave art and literature a chance to rapidly reach a wider audience than ever before. This led to a regression in art’s dependence on the ritual and allowed art to have a social role. Initially, films were the only form of video media to be available to the mass public. The advent of the internet and smartphones gave the means for film-making and distributing those films to the general public—creating viral videos. To illustrate how video media can so easily shape culture, Woolshed Co. put together six fake viral videos that have been watched over 205 million times around the world, fooling many of its viewers, so much so that their works have been on several news stations as real stories.

Another thing I found fascinating was Machiko Kusahara’s analysis on the difference between Japan’s and the West’s view on robots. The first robot depiction in media came from Czech playwright Karel Capek. Since then, Japan’s development of robots has been driven by humanoids designed to help and coexist with people. While a google on robots in the U.S. brings results describing military robotic technology development or American fear of robots. I think that people need to understand that new machines will always be “technically sweet” as J. Robert Oppenheimer put it, and that we should “argue about what to do about it only after [we’ve] had [our] technical success.” In the end, robots will be designed to ease everyday life. The example I always return to is a future of automated, flying cars that everyone wants, but everyone is too afraid to allow to develop.

Honda's world famous humanoid.

References:

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.
“Honda ASIMO 1/8 Scale Figure Robot.” Japan Trend Shop, www.japantrendshop.com/honda-asimo-18-scale-figure-robot-p-455.html.

Hui, Mary. “You've Been Punked: Company Boasts of Experimenting on Us with Fake Viral Videos.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 July 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/12/company-fooled-world-with-fake-viral-videos/?noredirect=on.

O'Connor, Tom. “U.S. Replaces Soldiers with Robots in First Training of Its Kind.” Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2018, www.newsweek.com/us-military-replaces-soldiers-robots-first-its-kind-training-exercise-877635.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert. “J. Robert Oppenheimer Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/j_robert_oppenheimer_159316.

Pascale, Anthony. “Steve Jobs Invokes Star Trek (Again) While Unveiling 4th Gen IPhone – But Where Is Star Trek Mobile Video Chat?” TrekMovie.com, 7 June 2010, trekmovie.com/2010/06/07/steve-jobs-invokes-star-trek-again-while-unveiling-4th-gen-iphone/.

Solon, Olivia. “More than 70% of US Fears Robots Taking over Our Lives, Survey Finds.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 4 Oct. 2017, www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/04/robots-artificial-intelligence-machines-us-survey.

The Woolshed Company. “The Viral Experiment.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 July 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccENfRThXOk.

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics MachikoKusahara 1.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQZ_sy-mdEU.

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt1.” YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/cRw9_v6w0ew.


Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt2.” YouTube, YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk.

Week 2: Math + Art

This week, I learned a lot about the history of art and its undeniable contributions to the field of mathematics. I really enjoyed Dr. Vesna’s explanation of the golden rectangle, as I had no idea that it was what the Parthenon was based upon. Abbott’s “Flatland” provided a new perspective on how I view my own reality in “Spaceland.” He took our reality as we know it and projected it onto the 2D plane. It made me curious how a 4th or 5th dimensional being might describe life in a 3D world like ours.

Egyptian paintings

Another thing that I found incredibly interesting was Giotti’s implementation of depth in his works. I was appalled that up until the 13th century there had been no depiction of depth in art. My mind immediately went to the instantly recognizable Egyptian paintings, which notoriously lack depth. One could argue that our models for 3D rendering/modelling today, a technology utilized in both art and engineering fields, stemmed from Giotti’s and Brunelleschi’s understanding of perspective and a single vanishing point. These equations formed the foundation for future generations of artists to improve the depiction of reality onto 2D planes.

Giotto's Scenes from the Life of Mary
Magdalene- Mary Magdalene's Voyage to Marseilles 1320

Art and mathematics weren’t separate as art progressed. Most of the artists were also the mathematicians that discovered these characteristic formulas to better depict reality in art. This goes back to last week’s theme of the two cultures; finding a skilled artist that is also a brilliant mathematician in 2018 seems farfetched. When the two cultures began to diverge, both took formulas with them and continued to deepen humans’ understanding of mathematics. Now we grow up in a world where at the age of 5, I learned how to depict depth in a drawing for the first time by drawing a cube. Something I thought that both mathematicians and artists would find interesting is the Möbius strip: a surface with only one side, which ironically can easily be made from a strip of paper with two sides.

A Möbius strip: Note how you can trace from any point
on the surface and continue along the loop and arrive back
at the same position you began at while traversing every
part of the surface.

When comparing mathematics, art, and science, it’s difficult to imagine any of them without the other. Their developments are inextricably linked: mathematics and science have influenced new frontiers in art, and art has led to the development of new questions for mathematics and science to explore.

References:

Abbott, Edwin. “Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.” N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <https://cole.uconline.edu/content>.

Byrne, Stephen. “Egyptian Painting.” Ancient Egyptian Painting Facts for Kids, www.historyforkids.net/egyptian-painting.html.

Dowell, Michael. “Secrets of the Cube.” How to Draw - Lesson 02 - Secrets of the Cube, www.drawingpower.org/drawing-lesson-02-secrets-of-the-cube.htm.

“Giotto Di Bondone.” Giotto Di Bondone - The Complete Works, www.giottodibondone.org/.

“Möbius Strip.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Apr. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6bius_strip.

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&feature=player_embedded

Week 1: Two Cultures

My sister and I at my great grandfather's name on Ellis Island

The presence of two cultures is something I experienced within my personal life growing up. As a halfie or hapa – terms colloquially used to describe a person of mixed ethnic heritage – I grew up in a household of mixed culture and traditions. My mother, who is Taiwanese, pushed for me to learn Mandarin, go to temple, and embrace Chinese culture. My father is German and pushed for me to go out for soccer, attend church, and recognize the his grandfather’s struggles as a refugee. This cultural split was very stark in my early years, but as I aged, the two cultures became less immiscible, and I created my own culture that I feel like accurately defines who I am.

A drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci in his study
of human proportions

I chose to pursue bioengineering as my major, which I prefer to view as the unification of life and machine. This is why I want to be part of the transhumanism movement. After this week, I think using technology to augment human life is no longer purely an engineering feat, but a movement that can readily embrace artists and literary intellectuals as participants as well.

Vesna describes the separation of science from the humanities, implying that the two cultures did, at some point, coexist. Many famous scientists/literary intellectuals, or to use a more encompassing term: polymaths, like Leonardo Da Vinci, who embodied this coexistence.

My personal experiences and this past coexistence is why I have mixed feelings about C.P. Snow’s “The Two Cultures: A Second Look.” I would argue that instead of a third culture to incorporate aspects of both cultures, we should seek a reunification of the current two cultures. Misunderstandings between the scientific community and humanities cannot be explained directly from one party to the other. The third culture must be the emergence of polymaths who have an in depth understanding of both cultures. They shall guide the unification of the two cultures. A unification of the arts and sciences that comes to mind is the depiction of the black hole in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.

Sir Ken Robinson cites a study where all children are capable of divergent thinking and explains how the education system robs us of this intrinsic ability. A new culture of divergent thinkers must be born, but for now, society is now a mix of linear and lateral thinkers, and we must collaborate to see a better future for all of us.

References

Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

theRSAorg. “RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Oct. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U.

Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. Web.

“Vitruvian Man.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Apr. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man.

warnerbrosuktrailers. “Interstellar – Building A Black Hole – Official Warner Bros.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Oct. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfGfZwQ_qaY.