ArtSci2002: New Dimensions in Collaboration
December 6 - 8, 2002 at the
American Museum of Natural History and the CUNY Graduate Center, NYC.
[See http://www.asci.org]
Presented by Art & Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI) in partnership
with The American Museum of Natural History & Continuing Education
& Public Programs at the Graduate Center of the City University
of New York. Collaborating Institutions: Arts Council of England (Collaborative
Arts Unit), UK; Arts Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy,
NY; Australian Network for Art & Technology; Banff New Media Institute
[BNMI], Banff Center, Alberta, Canada; Leonardo/ISAST; The SMARTlab
Centre & The Radical Project, The London Institute; School of Art
& Design, University of Michigan; Science and the Arts Program,
CUNY Graduate Center; SINAPSE, Department of Design ?edia Arts, UCLA
Reviewed by Amy Ione
PO Box 12748,
Berkley, CA 94712 USA
ione@diatrope.com
Those who know ASCI (Art & Science, Collaborations, Inc.) have come
to respect this group's success in creating the means for people from
many disciplines to meet and exchange ideas. ArtSci2002: New Dimensions
in Collaboration, ASCI's fourth annual symposium, was no exception.
An international audience of artists, scientists, technologists, humanists,
educators, philosophers, theorists, and others came together to learn
about the work of colleagues and network with others in the field. The
event began at the recently mounted Einstein exhibition at the American
Museum of Natural History, a show that nicely meshed with this year's
Einstein theme. Here an informal tour provided an opportunity to engage
with the work of the man Time Magazine named the most influential person
of the twentieth century. This carefully crafted show succinctly demonstrated
that Einstein's name is easily invoked when we talk about time, space,
atomic energy, the Big Bang, the quantum revolution, and innovative
electronics (among other things).
In the evening the opening reception amidst the dinosaurs and early
mammals was capped by the Keynote address, "Einstein's Legacy Inspires
New Art." Introduced by Brian Greene, a physicist and author of
the best-selling book, The Elegant Universe, the choreographer, Sandra
Kaufmann and playwright/videographer Michael Bassett spoke of their
multi-media play Superstrings (inspired by Brian Greene's work on string
theory, and commissioned by the Sloan Foundation for the Ensemble Studio
Theatre). String theory is a theory of particle physics that treats
elementary particles as extended one-dimensional "string-like"
objects rather than as the dimensionless points in space-time used in
other theories. The appeal of the theory is that it posits a means for
bridging the gap between quantum mechanics and general relativity. At
this point we know that quantum mechanics excels in explaining what
happens when things are very small or light, like molecules, atoms,
and subatomic particles. General relativity, on the other hand, applies
to studies on a very large or massive scale such as galaxies and the
universe itself. To date the two theories have appeared to be incommensurate,
Of course one of the attractions of string theory is that it endeavors
to bring quantum mechanics and general relativity into a common framework.
Kaufmann and Bassett endeavor to address the essence of the hypothesis
metaphorically.
Articulating varied experiments to translate the theoretical ideas into
a dynamic form, this collaborative team effectively captured the creative
process at work, as well as the excitations of the string and the interactions
that allow for quantum field theory and the geometry of surfaces to
interact. A combination of clips and description conveyed the intentions
of the production. Compelling as their presentation was, I was disappointed
to hear so much about the play and to see so little of it directly.
Also, in retrospect, I regret having neglected to ask them if they thought
their 'metaphoric' interpretation would still be valid as art if string
theory does not pass the test of time. The remainder of the symposium
took place at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
Here a variety of events provided an excellent overview and introduction
to the range of possibilities that fall into the art/sci rubric. Among
the activities were eight collaborative presentations related to Einstein
legacy, this year's theme. Albert & Isadora, the premiere performance
of a short work by Lori Belilove, (Artistic Director of the Isadora
Duncan Dance Foundation) and Sidney Perkowitz, (physicist /Emory University)
definitely hit the right notes. Produced by Brian Schwartz, (physicist
/CUNY Graduate Center) the visual and verbal dynamics Belilove and Perkowitz
presented effectively linked Albert Einstein and Isadora Duncan. Most
exciting was the way the well-integrated dance sequences emotively encouraged
the audience to connect with the multi-dimensional contributions of
these two well known figures. In my opinion, the directness of this
creative presentation translated better than the verbal descriptions
and clips offered by the keynote team.
"Acting Physics" also connected well with the Einstein theme.
Monica Sand (a sculptor and video artist) and Bjorn Jonson (a physicist)
combined art, mathematics, and physics. Much like the sculpture of the
physicist Robert R. Wilson, the first Director of Fermilab, the Sand/Jonson
pieces successfully joined artistic expression with scientific concepts.
Jonson's video statement was hard to follow due to audio problems, but
nonetheless the work itself conveyed that a collaborative impulse nurtured
the final result. Another presentation of note was "Explorations
and Visualizations of Higher Dimensional Julia Sets" by Daniel
Sandin, who collaborates with Louis H. Kauffman (a mathematician). While
I could not follow all of the details, the animated fractal images Sandin
presented certainly were a visual treat. The symposium also included
a number of interactive sessions, product demonstrations, and workshops.
I particularly liked the breakout sessions, and others I spoke to confirmed
their value. Hopefully future symposia will include more. Each was presented
as a question.
The thematically framed questions ranged from funding to professional
development to theoretical issues debated within the art/sci field.
Since the breakouts were scheduled concurrently, it was impossible to
visit all, a limitation well known to all who attend conferences and
symposia. One session that particularly impressed me posed the question:
"How can art and science proceed past a simple influence model,
where each discipline is in someway effected by the other, to a more
complex convergence model, where the trajectories of each discipline
become interwoven and interdependent without being dominate or dominated?"
The passion attendees brought to this topic no doubt was key to this
session's impact. Greg Little, Brain Betz, and Dena Eber, the session
leaders, never had a chance to introduce their own views. Instead, a
lively discussion immediately made it clear that there were many points
of view present. The audience debated how we should define collaboration,
the need to distinguish between science and technology, and whether
we incorrectly measure outcomes when we try to speak of what is immediately/explicitly
evident from a collaborative project. Many believed that effects are
often subtle and cross-disciplinary influences are likely integrated
over time.
Due to a personal emergency I was (unfortunately) unable to attend the
closing reception at The Taranto Gallery in Chelsea, which marked the
opening of DIGITAL'02: Envisioning Space, Time & the Future. This
fifth annual ASCI competition/exhibition was juried by Julia Van Haaften,
(the Assistant Director of the Digital Library Program at the New York
Public Library) and also related to the Einstein theme. Despite the
imposition of the theme, as Van Haaften notes: "The most engaging
aspect of the works selected was their democratic variety." Surveying
the pieces (see http://asci.org/digital2002/), the democratic response
is strikingly apparent. Christine Auda's "Sensuous Space,"
(an Epson Stylus Photo), has a luscious, amorphous quality. Auda's depth
and color contrast nicely with my favorite piece, "Diffusion,"
by the New Zealand artist Debbie Hahn. Hahn's sensuality is presented
more formally and the Canon BJ-W9000 print is monochromatic, thus quite
unlike the Auda piece conceptually. Also of note is Liz Lee's response
in "Interference Fringes Static." Using a striking visual
illusion, she investigates the existence of an intangible object through
the application of light. In addition, I was attracted to the way Lorraine
Walsh's visualization in "Superstrings" added yet another
perspective to the ideas introduced by the Keynote speakers.
Overall, I believe, ArtSci2002: New Dimensions in Collaboration was
a success. As is often the case in a fine-tuned, complex program, there
were some problems. Some events started late and, as a result, it wasn't
always easy to know exactly where things stood. While we have all grown
accustomed to the annoying technical issues that inevitably delay session
start times in our technological era, I hope next year's program will
seek a creative solution to speed up registration and admittance to
the Keynote address. Still, on balance, given the expansive and comprehensive
array ASCI presented, these delays were a small inconvenience. Once
again, as is ASCI's tradition, art/sci enthusiasts were offered an exciting
forum. Perhaps this was the most successful element of the event, for
the symposium definitely offered a chance to informally meet, network,
and exchange ideas in a nurturing environment. All in all, it is no
wonder that ASCI has been a one of the leaders in promoting artist-scientist
collaborations since the organization's inception 14 years ago.