Bonus Event 2: Hammer Museum

This is my 4^th year at UCLA, however, I just visited the Hammer Museum for the first time a few days ago!

When I first arrived at the museum, my eyes were drawn to the spinning chairs that people were sitting in. At the beginning, I was hesitant to start spinning because I didn't want the chair to tip over, but it doesn't. I found out that the Spun chair was part of British designer Thomas Heatherwick's exhibition: Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studio. At the museum, I learned that Heatherwick was inspired to make this chair after making observations of the kinds of objects that can be produced using metal spinning, such as gas cylinders. It is clear that math played a huge role during the development of this chair, because the artist had to make sure that a person would not fall out of the chair when he or she sits in it.

Me in one of the Spun chairs!

                                          Here is a video that shows the chair in action.

Another piece I was intrigued by was a small model of rods similar to the ones found in the UK Pavilion in Shanghai, China. The UK Pavilion, also called The Seed Cathedral, is a cube that is covered in over 60,000 clear acrylic rods, with seeds at the tips of the rods. During the day, the sunlight shines on the rods and lights the tip with the seeds in it. I really like the way that Heatherwick was able to incorporate nature into his art. After doing more research online, I found out that this project was meant to question the relationship between cities and nature. Specifically, seeds are necessary for human medicine and the environment. Seeing these seeds also made me question how many were genetically modified. The pictures of the building looked amazing and I wish I would have been able to see the UK Pavilion in real life. I bet it is fascinating!  

The rods in the exhibit 

 

The actual UK Pavilion being built
Photo courtesy of Shan Tara Feuerlein

I really enjoyed this exhibition and am so lucky I got to view it before it left the Hammer Museum!  

Feuerlein, Shan Tara. "UK Pavilion Shanghai World Expo 2010 - CubeMe." CubeMe. N.p., 14 May 2010. Web. 25 May 2015. <http://cubeme.com/uk-pavilion-shanghai-world-expo-2010/>.

"Heatherwick Studio." UK Pavilion. Heatherwick Studio, n.d. Web. 25 May 2015. <http://www.heatherwick.com/uk-pavilion/>.

"Spinning on the Spun Chair." YouTube. YouTube, 5 Oct. 2011. Web. 25 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCuirkW_z-k>.

Bonus Event 1: Art Science Society Exhibition

For my next event, I went to the UCLA Art Science Undergraduate Society's exhibition: Movement. I thought this would be a great event to attend, because the club merges science and art, just like our class.

  

One of the projects that I found to be interesting was called Crossroads: A Web of Paths by Mickey Shi. It features an interactive map of the UCLA campus. Students worked together to track where they walked on campus on a particular day. The purpose was to show that students from North and South Campus often cross paths and are more connected than we think. Instead of dividing the campuses we should be bring thing them together.

Mickey Shi's Crossroads: A Web of Paths

I thought this fit perfectly with the lecture about Two Cultures. C.P. Snow said that universities separate art and science as they focus on specialization a particular subject. He said, “This cultural divide is not just an English phenomenon: it exists all over the world” (Snow 11). At UCLA, South campus is home to the science and math majors, whereas North Campus is home to the Humanities. Yet, this project shows that students majoring in sciences and humanities are not completely separated from each other.  According to Professor Vesna, “academia allows artists contact with scholars from many disciplines”. Students can cross different parts of campus in one day and have the possibilities of learning from others with different interests.

I couldn't find the artist of Crossroads, so I took a picture with my friend to prove my attendance.

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. "Towards a Third Culture or Working in Between." Towards a Third Culture or Working in Between. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2015. <http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/00-01/ThirdCulture/ThirdCulture.htm>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Two Cultures Lectures." Desma 9. Web. 13 May 2015. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/346337/pages/unit-1-view?module_item_id=6472132>.

Event 3: Fowler Musuem

For my next event I went to the Fowler Museum. The exhibition that I thought connected best to this class was called Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram. Gagawaka consisted of mannequins wearing fashions made from items that might normally be discarded after use. It included bras, medical materials, cups, tampons, etc. In a short film shown at the museum, the artist says this project “uses trash as a starting point to creativity”. The second project, Postmortem, is comprised of interesting sculptures that use mannequins and human anatomy models together.

This work is called Diva R-E-D and is made from red bras.

I personally preferred the Gagawaka project. I really liked how the artist was so resourceful in reusing items that are common, but not meant for long-time use and creatively made them into elaborate clothing pieces. One of the Gagawaka pieces that I enjoyed the most was called Silver Foil Suit. The artist used empty foil wrappers from pills to create a men's jacket and pants. I thought this was a really impressive way to combine art and medicine. People normally take pills when they are sick, and yet, the artist transformed the item into something beautiful.

Silverfoil Suit

Another garment that intrigued me was in a work called YSL. The mannequin was wearing Lycra orthopedic supports, which are normally worn when a person has an injury or is aging and needs extra support. However, the mannequin clearly did not have arms or legs that needed support. It was one of the more simple Gagaworks pieces, but I found the royal blue color visually appealing. It was definitely attire I could picture Lady Gaga wearing.

YSL

One of the Postmortem works that I found interesting was called Acrobat. An anatomy model was placed inside a mannequin to make it more comparable to a postmortem human body that's been opened. To give the body a decaying effect, the paint of the mannequin's leg was chipped off and discolored. The other leg was green, as if a person was wearing tights, and the mannequin had a skirt that appeared to be made out of cotton. Although I didn't think it was as appealing as the other works, I appreciated the attention to detail. Also, I usually only see mannequins in clothing stores, so this project presented them in a different way. It made me think more about the human body after death. 

Acrobat

Overall, I was surprised how well the exhibition featured work that was associated with our class. The projects featured both art and science intertwined together in a thought-provoking way. 

 

                                              Me at Fowler

""Making Strange" by Vivan Sundaram at The Fowler Museum." Theartminion. N.p., 30 Apr. 2015. Web. 21 May 2015. <http://theartminion.com/2015/04/30/making-strange/>.

"Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram | Fowler Museum at UCLA." Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram | Fowler Museum at UCLA. The Regents of University of California, n.d. Web. 21 May 2015. <http://www.fowler.ucla.edu/exhibitions/making-strange-gagawaka-postmortem-vivan-sundaram>.

Event 2: Lecture by Louis-Philippe Demers

In this class, we learned how robotics and art could be intertwined. Last month, I attended a lecture by Louis-Philippe Demers, an artist who uses robotics in many ways.

During his lecture, Demers spent some time discussing the concept of perception. He showed a clip of a 1944 psychology experiment by Fritz Heider and Marianne Simmel. The clip features moving shapes, however, people start assembling a story in their mind of what is going on, as if the shapes are people.

He also showed a video of a robot attempting to climb stairs (see below). Demers pointed out that we tend to put meaning in this video instead of just recognizing it as a robot trying to figure something out. When the robot falls, many people react and feel sorry for it. The robot isn't real and cannot feel anything when it falls, yet humans empathize with it. I have to admit that when I saw the video, I definitely felt bad when the robot tripped, even though I knew it couldn't feel any emotions. As a psychology major, I have seen the Heider and Simmel clip before, but it was interesting for me to see the same concept in a different setting. 

One of the interesting projects Demers worked on was called Blind Robot. A person sits down and is touched by a robot, in the same way a blind human could touch someone to visualize what he or she looks like. Demers mentioned that when he puts a mirror in the room so people can see themselves being touched, many individuals take a selfie. I think I would probably have a different reaction; I would not enjoy being touched by this robot.  

In the project Inferno, inspired by Dante's Inferno, people are placed in suits connected to robots. The robot moves the person's arms at any given moment and the individual does not have much control. Demers mentioned that this art represents the boredom of being a machine. He also said that it's meant to represent what hell could be like. I was not a fan of this project because I found it creepy and not aesthetically pleasing. 

Overall, Louis-Philippe Demers' lecture was interesting.  Previously, I would have thought that humans would only show emotion to a robot such as Hiroshi Ishiguro's geminoid (because it looks realistic), but that is not the case. His lecture demonstrated how robotics can be used to learn more about human behavior, specifically perception and empathy. 

"Art Electronica 2013, Louis Philippe Demers -- The Blind Robot." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRKO1En2HTk>.

Demers, Louis-Philippe. "Louis-Philippe Demers Lecture." Louis-Philippe Demers Lecture. United States, Los Angeles. 21 Apr. 2015. Lecture.

"Honda's Asimo Robot Buckling on the Stairs." YouTube. YouTube, 12 Dec. 2006. Web. 12 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTlV0Y5yAww>.

"Inferno @ Stereolux 2015." YouTube. YouTube, 18 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mele9SxKyf0>.

"Inferno." Processing-Plant. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://processing-plant.com/web_csi/index.html#project=inferno>.

Webb, David. "Fritz Heider & Marianne Simmel: An Experimental Study of Apparent Behavior." Psychology. N.p., Apr. 2013. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.all-about-psychology.com/fritz-heider.html>.

Space + Art

Reading about outer space and watching space movies has always been fun for me, so I enjoyed getting to learn more about the history of space exploration during this week. 

An astronaut on a spacewalk

I was already aware that Virgin Galactic is working on developing commercial flights into space. However, I had no idea that asteroid mining has the potential to be a trillion dollar industry. Professor Vesna explained that a one kilometer diameter asteroid could contain an abundance of nickel, metal cobalt, and platinum. Additionally, the water found in asteroids can be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen-based rocket fuels (“Asteroids”). This means that the cost of space exploration could decrease, making it easier for companies to send more probes/rockets into space.

This is a concept sketch of a proposed device that could harvest asteroids.

One of the most common concerns for human travel into deep space is radiation exposure. But, water from asteroids could act as a radiation shield. According to Chris Lewicki, an aerospace engineer, “1 single cubic meter of water can block almost all forms of radiation in space, allowing you to travel to Mars worry-free” (“Asteroids”). Asteroid mining could expand the global economy and our knowledge of the solar system. I hope companies are able to develop the necessary technology so that this can become a reality.

Some of the metals found in asteroids

The artist Arthur Woods has been inspired by space exploration and regularly integrates science into his artwork. In 1993, his project called Cosmic Dancer was sent into outer space to the Russian Mir space station. It was a three-dimensional geometric form made of aluminum. The artist made his project green because the color is associated with nature (Arthur Woods). Woods wanted to study the sculpture in a weightless environment and learn how how art affects humans in orbit. The video of the project (seen below) in space is fascinating. I really liked how one of the astronauts imitated the rotation and movement of the Cosmic Dancer for a bit. It was almost as if he and the artwork were dancing together.

"Asteroids." Planetary Resources Asteroids Comments. Planetary Resources, n.d. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://www.planetaryresources.com/asteriods/#market-for-metals>.

Dunbar, Brian. "What Is a Spacewalk?" NASA. NASA, 24 Sept. 2009. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/what-is-a-spacewalk-k4.html#.VV1RQZNViko>.

Hammonds, Markus. "Asteroid Mining: Booming 21st Century Gold Rush? : DNews." DNews. Discovery Communications, 4 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://news.discovery.com/space/asteroids-meteors-meteorites/could-asteroid-mining-drive-21st-century-space-industry-130204.htm>.

Tasarra-Twigg, Noemi. "Asteroid Mining: Sci-Fi Economy Becoming Reality?" ForeverGeek. Splashpress Media, 04 May 2012. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://www.forevergeek.com/2012/05/asteroid-mining-sci-fi-economy-becoming-reality/>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Space + Art Lecture Part 5." Desma 9. Web. 20 May 2015. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/346337/pages/unit-9-view?module_item_id=6472176>.

Whitley, David. "Beam Me up." Traveller. Fairfax Media, 1 Apr. 2012. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://www.traveller.com.au/beam-me-up-1w0q3>.

Woods, Arthur. "Cosmic Dancer - a Space Art Intervention by Arthur Woods." The Cosmic Dancer Project : Cosmic Dancer Project Information : Arthur Woods. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://www.cosmicdancer.com/cosmic_dancer_project_information.php>.

Nanotechnology and Art

This week we learned how nanotechnology and art are used together. One example is the famous Lycurgus cup that Dr. Gimzewski described in lecture. The cup appears to be green when it is lit from the front, but red when it is lit from behind. Researchers studying the cup found that the Romans used gold and silver nanoparticles in the glass, which cause the cup to change colors depending on the direction of the light. Engineer Gang Logan Liu said, “The Romans knew how to make and use nanoparticles for beautiful art” (Merali). I find this interesting because nanotechnology is still an evolving field, yet the Romans were using is over 1,600 years ago!

I enjoyed the article about the John Curtin Gallery in Perth. Specifically, I was fascinated by Boo Chapple's Transjuicer project. She was able to make an audio speaker out of a bone. By applying oscillating voltage to the bone, it vibrates at the nanoscale and generates sound. The artist played songs into the bone and recorded them using a laser interferometer. She explained that her project “speaks to the relationship between a biological organism and their electromagnetic world” (O'Boyle). I thought it was neat how she wasn't really concerned about the functionality of the bone and instead was focused on the process of the art.

Transjuicer

Nanoparticles can be found in items that we regularly use. For example, silver nanoparticles with an antimicrobial effect are often used in socks. The nanoparticles are added to socks to kill the odor-causing bacteria, so people can wear them for a long period of time without a bad smell. However, this idea is controversial as some scientists worry about the environmental consequences of using nanotechnology in consumer goods. Some experiments have shown that  silver nanoparticles can come off the socks when they are washed, and enter the waste water system. If the water eventually ends up in a river or lake, it can hurt the aquatic ecosystem if it enters the gills of fish ("Scientists Scared of Socks," 2008). 

                                  

So, while nanotechnology can be beneficial, it can also be detrimental to our environment. I think it's important that institutions continue to study nanotechnology, but it is essential to consider the ethical implications. 

"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.base. Art.base, 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 19 May 2015. <https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

Gates, Sara. "Lycurgus Cup, Ancient Roman Artifact, Inspires Modern-Day Nanotechnology (VIDEO)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/27/lycurgus-cup-ancient-romans-nanotechnology_n_3818512.html>.

Gimzewski, James. "Nanotech for Artists Part 3." Desma 9. Web. 19 May 2015. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/346337/pages/unit-8-view?module_item_id=6472170>.

Merali, Zeeya. "This 1,600-Year-Old Goblet Shows That the Romans Were Nanotechnology Pioneers." Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institution, Sept. 2013. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-1600-year-old-goblet-shows-that-the-romans-were-nanotechnology-pioneers-787224/?no-ist>.

O'Boyle, Shaun. "Visceral: Interview with Boo Chapple." Science Gallery. The University of Dublin, 24 Jan. 2011. Web. 19 May 2015. <https://dublin.sciencegallery.com/blog/2011/01/visceral-interview-boo-chapple>.

"Scientists Scared of Socks as Nanotechnology and Nanoparticles Become Common in Consumer Products." Scientists Scared of Socks as Nanotechnology and Nanoparticles Become Common in Consumer Products. AZO Network, 7 Apr. 2008. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=6212>.

"Silver Socks." Silver Gloves. TDS Healthcare, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.silvergloves.co.uk/healthcare-images/silver-socks/>.

"What Will Nanotechnology Mean to You?" O ECOTEXTILES. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <https://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/category/nanotechnology/>.

Event 1: Discovery Cube Orange County

For my first event, I went to Discovery Cube Orange County with a few classmates. The Discovery Cube Museum has many interactive exhibits that expose children and their families to science, art, and technology.  

   

My classmates and I posed for a picture with two Discovery Cube employees. 

I attended Bubblefest, an event which the museum hosts every year. During the show, bubble artist/scientist Deni Yeng entertained the crowd with a fun bubble and laser show. He used many tricks including blowing smoke bubbles, spinning the bubbles, and blowing mini bubbles within a giant bubble. The show was visually appealing yet scientific as he explained ways that science is incorporated into bubble-making.

Dani Yeng blows a smoke bubble into another bubble.
 Image courtesy of: http://www.sandytoesandpopsicles.com/orange-county/bubblefest-discovery-science-center/

Me at the Bubblefest

Yeng combined art and technology during the laser portion of the show. Thousands of bubbles were released as he danced to the music and moved with the lasers. I enjoyed seeing how a seemingly simple act of blowing bubbles could be made into a spectacular artistic show and combined with science. The performance allows attendees to experience bubbles in a different way than they are used to.  I would definitely recommend it to all ages! 

Image by Caryn Bailey
http://rockinmama.net/bubblefest-2013-at-the-discovery-science-center/

Image by Caryn Bailey
http://rockinmama.net/bubblefest-2013-at-the-discovery-science-center/

Most of the kids that I saw at the Discovery Center looked like they were having a lot of fun and I immediately thought of Ken Robinson's Divergent Thinking video. I think it would be beneficial to today's youth if more schools could incorporate hands-on teaching of science in the classrooms or even more field trips to museums. There is a big difference between reading about a concept in a book and getting to learn about it in an interactive way. With a different way of teaching, students may appreciate the arts and sciences more and might feel more inspired to creatively incorporate the two. 

Bailey, Caryn. "Bubblefest at the Discovery Science Center Merges Entertainment With Hands-On Learning - Rockin Mama™." Rockin Mama RSS2. N.p., 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://rockinmama.net/bubblefest-2013-at-the-discovery-science-center/>.

"Bubblefest - Discovery Cube OC." Discovery Cube OC RSS2. Discovery Science Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.discoverycube.org/oc/exhibits/bubblefest/>.

Garcia, Eugene. "Science Learning Bubbles up in Santa Ana." The Orange County Register. N.p., 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bubbles-501865-science-year.html>.

Robinson, Ken. "RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms." YouTube. The RSA, 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 12 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U>.