kyliebachDESMA9

The intersection between space and art is philosophical, scientific, but also profoundly human. From star maps to installations, artists have always taken the universe as a point of inspiration for expression. Today, the relationship between both is seen in spaces such as aerospace and data institutions.  Kapoor, Anish. Leviathan . 2011, Grand Palais, Paris. Photograph by Benjamin Bergery, blog.bergery.net , https://i0.wp.com/d2jv9003bew7ag.cloudfront.net/uploads/Anish-Kapoor-Leviathan-2011.-Photo-Benjamin-Bergery.-Image-via-blog.bergery.net_.jpg?ssl=1 An example of such is the KSEVT (Cultural Center of European Space Technologies) in Slovenia, where architecture is merged with cosmic thought. The building is inspired by the concept of a rotating space station (KSVET).  Electromagnetic Turbulence in Increased β Plasmas in the Large Plasma Device . UCLA Basic Plasma Science Facility , plasma.physics.ucla.edu/assets/images/publication-4.jpg At UCLA, the Basic Plasma Science Faci...

Like always, I’ve never imagined what the intersection of nanotechnology and art could be like. After this week, I feel like I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for interdisciplinary work. Nanotechnology, rooted in science on a molecular level, isn’t just changing science, but it also is transforming art, culture, and how we see the world itself.  Orfescu, Cris. Quantum Tunneling. Digital print, archival inks on fine art paper. Interalia Magazine, https://www.interaliamag.org/articles/cris-orfescu-nanoart-atomic-molecular-sculptures-and-landscapes/ One of the most powerful ideas came from Cris Orfescu’s Academy of NanoArt, where he defines NanoArt as “the transition from science to art through technology” (literally the same description of the course!). Using equipment like the scanning electron microscope, artists can create mesmerizing visual art on a nanoscale (“NanoArt 21 – Art – Science – Technology”). As Orfescu notes, “most people perceive [nanoimages] as artistic objects”, ev...

  UCLA’s campus is split into two distinct campuses: North and South. North and South Campus are “Characterized by the geographic split of social sciences and humanities in the northern part of UCLA, and physical and life sciences in UCLA’s south” (Jung).   Fig. 1. Reed Hutchinson, Building Name Origins , UCLA Magazine , https://s3.amazonaws.com/cms.ipressroom.com/173/files/20204/5ebfaf192cfac24bf25d48bf_building+name+origins/building+name+origins_mid.jpg I’m a Cognitive Science student, and for the first two years of college, I mainly found myself in South Campus because I had to take math, computer science, and psychology classes. It is a very interdisciplinary major, so occasionally I would find myself in Dodd Hall for a philosophy class. However, I find myself more in North Campus this year (my third year!), especially because I have been taking more GE’s and because I have added an Information and Media Literacy minor. Many of the classes that I am taking this quar...

With the current focus on algorithms and data, art and neuroscience are becoming increasingly entangled. An example is Octopus Brainstorming, a collaborative art-science project by Researcher Victoria Vesna and Neuroscientist Mark Cohen, where two participants wear octopus-shaped EEG head pieces while their brainwaves are visualized through shifting lights and sound (Albu). This mixed-media installation is a metaphor for a deeper connection – communication beyond language, beyond species.  Fig. 1. Victoria Vesna, Mark S. Cohen, Octopus Brainstorming , Art|Sci Collective, 2016, Luskin Conference Center at UCLA. Courtesy of Patricia Olynyk and Victoria Vesna. https://www.sfu.ca/content/sfu/cmajournal/issues/issue-ten--enchantment--disenchantment--reenchantment/cristina-albu/jcr:content/main_content/image.img.1280.high.jpg/1628111456947.jpeg This vision resonates with other projects that explore how mind and matter may intersect. The Global Consciousness Project, for example, uses r...

This week, we looked at biotechnology as an expressive medium. Through the readings, podcasts, and videos, I’ve realized how bio materials – DNA, cells, tissues – can be used in research and creative practice. Much of the work that was linked in this week's materials had a level of shock value, as they raised questions about ethics, control, and what we define as “life.” These are ideas that are central to Ellen K. Levy’s Essay, Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications, where she introduces the idea of biological anomalies and how classification problems question scientific and social systems (Levy, 2006).  The term bioart was created by a Brazilian-American artist Eduardo Kac, and it is defined as the bridge of art “born out of creativity and abstract thoughts, and science, which is rooted in facts, laws, and logic, as a means of self-expression” (Peter, 2023).  Fig. 1. Amy Karle, “Regenerative Reliquary”, AmyKarle BioArt, https://b735439.smushcdn.com/735...