Event 4: Jurij Krpan

I went to Jurij Krpan’s lecture on the Kapelica Gallery for Contemporary Investigative Art and learned about some incredible art exhibits they displayed that have used science as a means of art. 

One piece I found interesting involves two machines, one a “man” and one a “woman”, who wander aimlessly around the exhibit until they finally meet up and embrace which happens about once a day. Although these machines are likely programmed to take a random path, the audience becomes invested in these two robots finding each other and when they finally do, the viewers are happy and satisfied, as they have unknowingly built a one-sided relationship with machines. 

Another piece I really enjoyed was the “Cosmopolitan Chicken Project,” in which the artist intentionally breeds purebred chickens with mutt chickens in order to create a “universal bastard.” Contradictory to common breeding practices, the aim is not to maintain the lineage of one certain type of chicken but rather to create a chicken that embodies all the differences between breeds. By controlling the natural process of reproduction, the artist created an inspiring piece of art.

Krpan ended the lecture with a few statements about art, proclaiming that art is the only field that challenges all your senses at the same time and that art creates a new space for reflection and is there for others to process it. Overall, I really enjoyed Jurij Krpan’s lecture and would love to check out the Kapelica Gallery if I ever find myself in Slovenia.

REFERENCES

Me with Jurij Krpan, CNSI, UCLA. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Machines, CNSI, UCLA. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, CNSI, UCLA. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Event 3: Fowler Museum, Making Strange

Vivan Sundaram’s Making Strange exhibit showcases two of his bodies of work, Gagawaka and Postmortem, in an interesting and shocking showcase. 

Gagawaka is a series of “outfits” made out of common items ranging from cups to tampons to purses. One of my favorites was “Immunity Cover,” a crop top, pants, and mask outfit made out of surgical masks. By combining a piece of important medical technology with an instance of today’s fashion, Sundaram is able to make a statement that links one of our most material possessions, clothing, to our inevitable death.

Postmortem’s message is much stronger as it focuses on medical devices being represented within the human body. There are a multitude of mannequins cut half open with anatomical models of their organs protruding out as the mannequins are frozen in some kind of movement. By anthropomorphizing these models, Sundaram reminds us of the human body’s limitations. 

Another piece that really caught my eye was “Liberty” which depicts a mannequin in an iron, fiberglass, and rubber dress. The skillful engineering this must have required gave me a new respect for his art, and truly embodies Sundaram's merging of science and art.

I also watched a short film narrated by Sundaram that highlights how he came to create these works and what he thinks viewers will take out of the experience. Overall, I really enjoyed this exhibit and some of the outfits even made me laugh. I would definitely recommend it to other students.

REFERENCES

Anatomical pieces, Fowler Museum, UCLA. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

"Immunity Cover", Fowler Museum, UCLA. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

"Liberty", Fowler Museum, UCLA. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Me at Making Strange, Fowler Museum, UCLA. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Event 2: Hammer Museum

I recently visited the Hammer Museum to see the Provocations exhibit, Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio, and the This is the End exhibit. 

I had never been to the Hammer Museum and expected something similar to the Getty, which was true for what I saw at the Provocations exhibit. The Provocations exhibit highlights the Heatherwick studio, which combines engineering and art to create incredible monuments, bridges, and other public spaces. One of my favorite pieces was the proposed Teesside Power Station in England which aims to not only power 2,000 homes but also to serve as a public venue, a park, and a place for community gatherings. Rather than deter residents from living nearby, the Teesside Power Station may actually become a desired icon to live near. 

Although the Provocations exhibit may have been what I expected from the Hammer Museum, This is the End and the Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio shattered any sense of conventionality I had. To be honest, these exhibits scared me. Walking into The Catch exhibit, I was greeted by complete blackness and sound/music that was increasing in loudness and beat. Although initially afraid, the exhibit itself was beautiful with the draping curtain and light emanating onto the water and I liked the concept behind the piece. The Catch aims to collect water that would have been lost to the ocean and redistribute it through Los Angeles, a great example of integrating science and art. By displaying The Catch at the Hammer, it is able to reach both demographics. 

Lastly, I went into the This Is the End exhibit and watched Ed Atkins “Even Pricks”. I don’t know what my expectations were but I can confidently say it wasn’t what I experienced. This 8-minute looped film shows short, unrelated scenes in which actions are not completed and satisfaction is never gained. It cuts to scenes of a CGI orangutan speaking in a different accent and then back to a thumb defying the laws of physics. Most of the film was created using CGI technology and it truly added another level of realism into the film. This combination of science and art furthered the goal of the film: fear, confusion, and a lack of continuity. 

Although my mom and I left joking that we were going to have nightmares after the Hammer Museum, I did enjoy my experience there and learned quite a bit about science and art.

REFERENCES

Me at Hammer Museum, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Teesside Power Station model, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

The Catch exhibit, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Even Pricks still, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Personal photograph by author. 2015.

Week 9: Space + Art

Humans are curious creatures; we love what we don’t understand.  This week’s topic, Space + Art, touches on our inherent need to learn. Since the first people roamed our planet, the night sky has always played a role in society. Whether used in determining the seasons or merely trying to find meaning in the world they lived in, astronomy has always been linked with humanity (Cowen). 

Films, books, and television shows have a deep-rooted relationship with space as well. Christopher Nolan’s new Academy Award winning movie, Interstellar, draws viewers in with the lure of wormholes and blackholes, two topics the general public does not know too much about (“Interstellar Awards”). Although the plot is fictional, Interstellar prides itself on scientific accuracy. With the help of Kip Thorne, a famous astrophysicist and theorist, the crew of Interstellar not only worked tirelessly to create the most accurate simulations possible for the film, but also actually discovered new information about black holes (Rogers). In aiming to produce art with science, they progressed in both realms. 

With curiosity comes the need to make sense of our world. Humans love patterns and these patterns can often be found in math. The Powers of Ten Blog makes massive numbers easier to comprehend by incorporating them into interesting topics such as Valentine’s Day and the Challenger Deep (Marlow). For example, in the “Challenger Deep” article, the author says “Challenger Deep is approximately 11,030 meters (36,200 feet) [or 10^4 feet] deep. It is named after the HMS Challenger, whose crew first sounded the depths of the trench in 1875 [10^2 years ago]” Without taking away from the content, the author slips in powers of ten to get the reader more familiar with exponentials.

Appealing to mankind’s curious nature can be a useful tool to fuse art and science, and historically, space seems to do the trick.

REFERENCES

"About | ARCTIC PERSPECTIVE INITIATIVE." About | ARCTIC PERSPECTIVE INITIATIVE. Arctic Perspective Initiative, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

"Awards." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

Cowen, Ron. "When the Sky Explained Everything - Issue 11: Light - Nautilus." Nautilus. Nautilus, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 01 June 2015.

Eames Office LLC. Filmstrip Image. Digital image. Fast Co Design. Fast Co Design, 8 Oct. 2010. Web. 31 May 2015.

Holmes, Brian. "CODED UTOPIA." Continental Drift. Continental Drift, 27 Mar. 2007. Web. 01 June 2015.

"Interstellar." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

Levrier, Guy. "Leonardo Space Art Project Visioneers." Leonardo Space Art Project Visioneers. Leonardo, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

Marlow. "An Eames Office Website." Powers of Ten Blog. Wordpress, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

Rogers, Adam. "WRINKLES IN SPACETIME: The Warped Astrophysics of Interstellar." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

The 88 Star Constellations. Digital image. The 88 Star Constellations. Go Astronomy, n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.

Zeitz, Richard. Black hole scene. Digital image. Frontline Desk. Frontline Desk, 14 Feb. 2015. Web. 31 May 2015.