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 The event I attended this week, hosted by Xtine Burrough, talked about the importance of artistic communities for social change. In her book (a collaboration with Judy Walgren), Art As Social Practice, she explains that art can bring together individuals to "raise consciousness and bring forth social impact" (Burrough).  In my opinion, this is an extremely important topic to discuss. Many people view art at face value, rather than truly understanding the underlying meanings beneath particular pieces. When speaking about topics such as unequal power structures in society, art can "reflect the structures around us" becoming a form of "social currency" (Bruguera).  One artist in this presentation, Margaretha Haughwout, really stood out to me. Her work, Coven Intelligence Program, is a "revolutionary, anti-capitalist alliance among witches, plants, and machines" (YCBA). They combine technology, nature, and art within this piece of work in order to b...

The topic for this week, nanotechnology and its relationship with art sparked many thoughts within me. Prior to this class, I had never really heard of nanotechnology nor understood its importance in many sectors of society. As mentioned during lecture, "the biggest market today is for nanoparticles," which is why understanding what they are and how they are used is so vital (Gimzewksi).   The CDC defines nanotechnology as " the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials, and devices," specifically in engineered structures and devices (CDC). More specifically, it can aid in crucial advancements for solving environmental crises and particular health problems. Additionally, nanotechnology is rapidly growing as "t he number of scientific publications in the field grew from about 200 in 1997 to more than 12,000 in 2002" (Brahic and Shanahan). This provides an exciting basis for future inventions and technologies based ar...

The topic for this week (neuroscience and its connections to art) reminded me of a philosophical problem I learned about in one of my previous classes. The 'brain in a vat' scenario, an interpretation of Cartesian skepticism, is essentially the idea of choosing to believe (for the sake of the scenario) that your entire being simply consists of a brain that is connected to wires and controlled by a scientist. The scientist can mimic the real world, making it so you believe that you're a real human being. The result of this scenario forces the individual to ask themselves if " all of [their] beliefs about the external world are false," requiring a deep analysis of what consciousness truly is (Hickey).  A comic depicting the 'brain in a vat' scenario As Professor Vesna states in her lectures, the definition of consciousness is " a sense of one’s personal or collective identity, including the attitude, beliefs, and sensitivities held by an individual or ...

The topic for this week, biotechnology and art, is highly controversial and has a multitude of ethical implications. Joe Davis, who is named the pioneer of bio-art, was one of the first individuals to actively seek out scientists to help him combine genomes with his artwork (Vesna). Since then, there have been various pieces of art that coincide with biotechnology; these pieces have led to many conversations regarding the morals of using animals for artwork.  Alba, the GFP Bunny Chicago artist Eduardo Kac is famously known for his project,  GFP Bunny, in which he " injected green fluorescent protein (GFP) of a Pacific Northwest jellyfish into the fertilized egg of an albino rabbit" (Genome News Network). His creation blended the worlds of biology and art, resulting in a creature that was unlike anything anyone had seen before. Alba was truly unique, but not everyone was appreciative of this project. Kac's work was met with some pushback from animal rights and religious g...

The relationship between medicine, technology, and art is a concept I have not explored before this class. However, after reading more into this subject, I realized that these fields are more connected than I previously thought. Bringing together art and medicine has proven to be a deeply personal experience for many individuals. As Professor Vesna explains in her lectures, the human body has been studied in both an artistic and scientific manner for thousands of years, with art schools still emphasizing the importance of understanding anatomy (Vesna). Additionally, a Stanford Medicine article describes how a particular patient combined her love of art with her recent diagnosis. The article shows that, "h er work makes a difference because it opens up conversations about issues that are typically so private, so taboo and yet so pervasive in our society" (MacCormick).  Medicine and the Arts: Humanizing Healthcare Although I have never undergone an MRI, it was fascinating to h...

The third installment of the From Forces to Forums event displayed the relationships between humans and nature; particularly, it conveyed a message that mankind needs a shift in our treatment of nature. The artists that displayed their works, namely Ursula Endlicher and Victoria Vesna, showcased this theme in their art and also explained how they have utilized technology to create these pieces.  Input Field reversal by Ursula Endlicher Endlicher's art is focused on aspects such as 'edible HTML,' which they describe as " materialized code that revolves around a shared food experience" (Endlicher). They also note that they pursue this form of artwork because they want to show the distinction between the natural and technological worlds. By combining activities such as farming, as shown in the picture above, with coding knowledge, this artist can make a truly unique piece of work. Walter Benjamin notes that "t he uniqueness of a work of art is inseparable from i...