MaryKDESMA9

For my event I went to the Delete Me exhibit by several graduating seniors from the Design Media Arts department. As described on the DESMA website, "works span the genres of interactive installation, performance, sculpture, software, print and video work." This exhibit was so intriguing to walk through, where the dimly lit room allowed each artists piece to enhance the viewers other senses to specific lights and sound. Many of the exhibits were interactive, including several video games where the viewers could actually play games. One of the exhibits was a large room with large words projected on the walls, and a recorded voice talking through the speakers, which created such a cool, sensory experience. Another had a microphone with a teleprompter, where the words would move through the speech as soon as the viewer starts talking into the mic.  I liked the ways that every single piece in the whole exhibit incorporated technology and art in order to create an interactive e...

 I enjoyed this week's guest lectures with James Gimzewski because it made me realize how nanotechnology is something that is so integrated into our society and every day life without even knowing it. It is so complex, but the structure is also so simple and has been useful in creating new products, medicines, etc. These structures are found in nature, and with the developments in technology recently, we can now see what is basically invisible and use it for even more advancements.  Photo from rsc.org      The part that I found most interesting was the video about nanoparticles, specifically the lotus leaf effect. He described the ways that scientists use nanotechnology to change the nano-structured surface to resemble that of a lotus leaf so that things like water, grease or oil do not stick to it, but rather slide off of the surface completely. This technology has affected much of the fashion industry with the creation of self-cleaning fabrics; ...

After watching the lectures and reading this week's articles, it seems to me that neuroscience is an art itself. It is so interesting the ways in which everyone's minds are so similar, yet so different. In recent history, as technology developed, so did the ability to see more and more into the mind and how it works. One of the studies that caught my attention was the one done at UCLA, from the article "How to build a bigger brain" (Wheeler). This study used MRI scans to test the neurological benefits of meditation and how it changes the brain. By looking at specific areas of the brain that are associated with emotions, they found that regardless of the types of meditation, the meditators always had more gray matter there, meaning that they had better control of their emotional responses to things (Wheeler).  Photo from http://synchronicity.org/free-infographics/effects-of-meditation-on-the-brain Another level that adds to the complexity of the mind is the res...

For my event I went to the mnemowari exhibit by E. Joteva. I have never seen an art exhibit like this before and I really liked the dim lighting and music, which created a unique sensory experience. The large part of the room had three white walls that were covered with projections of the cryo sculptures, accompanied by rhythmic, drum-beating music. Walking through the top part of the room room there were cryo sculptures hanging from the ceiling that released liquid into a bowl below, which was described as a process where “cryo sculptures will release their entropic potential into virtual and material memory”.  There were also some projections on the walls and spotlights on the sculptures that drew me in to each piece. This exhibit was a great example of the ways that science and art function together and influenced the work of E. Joteva, who is an artist and researcher, which is explains how she was able to put this together. The cryo sculptures and this release process obvio...

Before learning about this weeks topics, I had never known about the artists who use complicated processes to combine genetics with their artistic expressions. Each one that was discussed in lecture was so unique in the way that they used such invasive procedures and scientific practices to make a statement. The one that interested me the most was Kathy High's installation with rats, showing her empathetic relationship with an animal that we all consider to be gross and useless. And the way that Zaretsky created art from genes to critique the way that we live and the alterations in society. Both artists incorporate biotechnology into their artistic expressions by using these scientific experiments to make statements about the world that we live in.  Photo from embracinganimal.com However, many of these artists projects are considered controversial due to their invasiveness and personal topics; for example, Orlan's Biotechnological Coat with skin cells from people of all d...

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