Event 2: From Forces to Forms: Episode 1 "Laws of Nature"

For my second event of the quarter, I decided to attend episode 1 of “Forces to Forms” that featured many presenters, as well as Dr. Vesna herself. Hosted by the Pratt Gallery in Manhattan, the event itself largely focused on the link between art and science in relation to the laws of nature.


Figure 1. Proof of attendance.

My favorite presentation was by Todd Siler. As a science aficionado, I get very excited when I hear of emerging technology that can potentially change the world. So when Siler said that he was trying to find a way to recreate the sun by modelling fractals, my curiosity was immediately piqued.


Figure 2. Todd Siler, The Fractal Engine, 2022.

The fractal reactor model was engineered based on fractal geometry (as opposed to Euclidean geometry) as an example of a device that could generate limitless energy via nuclear fusion. While the reactor itself has yet to be developed, the idea itself is revolutionary in that science and art have rendered an idea about the world into a form that allows general viewers to grasp said idea. A similar situation took place when neuroscientist Danielle Bassett and her team created neural networks in a physical space to see the data from an artistic lens ergo allowing them to better understand the complexities of the brain. Her project gives us a radical new model of the brain that could later change the way we understand how it functions.

While this gives impression that science and art are the quintessential tool to change the world, it remains a question of how they can combine and engage with each other more commonly. Martin Kemp, an expert in science and art, agrees that this issue of imagining and comprehending high level ideas is uncommon. Janet Echelman’s “She Changes” project evinces this further; Echelman used fibers and poles to design an elaborate sculpture in Portugal to reflect the heritage of Porto and Matosinho. However, when creating this large model, she faced several challenges majorly relating to science. Several variables ranging from weather to the type of material used had to be considered to produce a safe, standing figure.


Figure 3. Janet Echelman, She Changes, 2022.

To do so, Echelman states that she had to create her own computation tools to produce a working model. Indeed, this is one solution the aforementioned problem. Alternative approaches include active collaboration between artists and scientists, as well as STEAM education (Snow). 

Works Cited

Campbell, Sarah. “Danielle Bassett.” EMBS, 18 July 2016, https://www.embs.org/pulse/articles/danielle-bassett/.

Cressey, Daniel. “Physics: Modelling Feynman.” Nature, vol. 489, no. 7415, 2012, pp. 207–207., https://doi.org/10.1038/489207a.

Kemp, Martin. “From Science in Art to the Art of Science.” Nature, vol. 434, no. 7031, 2005, pp. 308–309., https://doi.org/10.1038/434308a.

Levy, Ellen. "From Forces to Forms: Episode 1 "Laws of Nature." Pratt Gallery Manhattan, uploaded by Art | Sci Center, 2 Apr. 2022, https://vimeo.com/692460809

“She Changes, Porto, Portugal, 2005.” Janet Echelman, https://www.echelman.com/project/she-changes.

Siler, Todd. “Fractal Reactor: Re-Creating the Sun.” Leonardo, vol. 40, no. 3, 2007, pp. 270–278., https://doi.org/10.1162/leon.2007.40.3.270.

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. Cambridge University Press, 1959.

Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo, vol. 34, no. 2, 2001, pp. 121–125., https://doi.org/10.1162/002409401750184672.

Zhu, Lian, and Yogesh Goyal. “Art and Science.” EMBO Reports, vol. 20, no. 2, 2018, https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.201847061.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

Image
One of my best friends has long been interested in the field of neuroscience so this topic somewhat resonates with me. He once told me that the human brain holds the key to our nature as conscious beings. Still, I was shocked to hear that neuroaesthetics - a combined discipline involving neuroscience and art - is a flourishing field. Among the factors motivating this new collaborative venture is the epiphany that artists have made groundbreaking discoveries about the human brain that scientists are just beginning to unearth. According to Zeki, “most painters are also neurologists” (2). Given that artists have been a proponent of studying the way in which the world is perceived, it isn’t surprising that they have uncovered certain characteristics of the way we sense shapes, colors or depth. Interestingly, this is nothing new. Patrick Cavanagh, an eminent vision researcher and professor, claims that line drawings likely date back to our ancestors tracing lines in the sand and realizi...
Read more

Week 8: Nanotechnology + Art

Image
When Marvel’s “Ant-man” came out in 2015, the geek in my 14-year-old self decided to make an appearance. Although the wolverine was my favorite character at the time, ant-man was a close second as his ability to change size at will came across as a devastating yet epic ability. So, it came as a wonderful surprise when I found out that the nanotechnology aspect of the movie and comics could be explained - and by UCLA scientists, no less! Figure 1. Marvel University, Ant-Man & The Wasp and Nanotechnology, 2018. According to Laurent Bentolila, the scientific director at the UCLA California NanoSystems Institute, their technology “paints” cells such as neurons and immune cells with colored dyes, shines a laser on them, and with this, they can track every cell in space and time like a GPS. As a result, they could, in theory, use this to track someone like ant-man (Horan). In 2002-03, Vesna and Gimzewski presented interactive artwork featuring nanotechnology that allowed individuals ...
Read more

Week 4: MedTech + Art

Image
Think about medicine for a second. What comes to mind? Hospital? Ambulance? Doctor, perhaps? Whatever you thought of first was undoubtedly not related to art. Thus, it was shocking to learn that thousands of years ago, art and medicine were nearly indistinguishable disciplines. Since ancient times, humans have been dissecting bodies as part of a larger artistic performance (Vesna). The ancient Egyptians, for example, were pioneers in art and medicine and integrated their anatomical knowledge and mythological stories into art. Among these works includes the infamous eye of Horus, otherwise known as “The Third Eye”. While it remains one of the most baffling secrets of ancient human history, one established interpretation of the symbol is anatomical. The eye itself comes in parts and when superimposed over a mid-sagittal image of the human brain, each component corresponds to human neuroanatomical features (ReFaey). Figure 1. The Eye of Horus Fitted in the Mid-Sagittal Section of the Hu...
Read more