Unit 8: NanoTech + Art

Blue Morpho Butterfly

Although nanotechnology is present in nature and in various molecular structures, it is a relatively new field with a lot of potential to have a large impact on various fields including medicine, chemistry, and technology. The nanoscale refers to a billionth of a meter, a scale so small that is difficult to intuitively grasp (Gimzewski) On the nanoscale, there is a break from standard scientific rules, a paradigm shift, as things on the microscopic scale following different rules.

Take for example the property of color. Being able to visualize the world in color allows us to see things with vibrancy and detail.  The Blue Morpho butterfly appears to have blue iridescent wings, but in actuality this blue pigment is an illusion (Gimzewski & Vesna).  Known as nanophotonics, light is being manipulated through shapes at the nanoscale, making the wings appear blue (Gimzewski). This makes me wonder what other things in nature are deceiving us through nanoscale properties.

Nano-Scape 

With a limit on visual perception, the sense of touch became focal in nanotechnology. The Scanning Tunneling Microscope uses touch to feel the surface of an object instead of directly visualizing the specimen. The Scanning Tunneling Microscope allowed for the recording of things on the atom scale and it transcended beyond the the limit of light microscopes and live things could be imaged, unlike electron microscopes (Gimzewski).

Featured in the John Curtin Gallery in 2010 was an interactive exhibit called Nano-Scape (Art in the Age of Nanotechnology). Relying solely on touch, participants wore magnets that allowed them to feel various magnetic forces and pulls as they moved their hand across the table. The exhibit appears to be a blank table, but as the user moves his or her hands, vibrations and movements can be felt. Similar to the Scanning Microscope Telescope, this new reliance on the sense of touch is vital in nanotechnology.

An example of Orfescu's artwork 

A new movement of art known as NanoArt arose. Cris Orfescu is an artist that uses nanotechnology in his art in order to increase public knowledge of science and technology (Feder). He uses an assortment of medias including the utilization of a scanning electron microscope with chemical and physical processing to create art.

The future sounds promising with predictions of nanotechnology being able to "turn dirt into food and end world hunger" (Gimzewski). Hopefully, this will transcend beyond media hype and manifest into concrete results.




Sources: 
"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." John Curtin Gallery, Art.Base, 2010. https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology Accessed 24 May 2018. 
Feder, Barnaby. "The Art of Nanotech" The New York Times, Bits (Business, Innovation, Technology, Society), 25 January 2008, https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/the-art-of-nanotech/ Accessed 27 May 2018. 
Gimzewski, James. "Nanotech Jim pt1." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 21 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE.  
Gimzewski, Jim and Victoria Vesna. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science." http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm Accessed 16 May 2018. 
Gimzewski, James. "Nanotech Jim pt2." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 21 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEp6t0v-v9c. 
Gimzewski, James. "Nanotech Jim pt4." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 21 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHCuZetAIhk
Gimzewski, James. "Nanotech Jim pt5." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 21 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OWc8nmHJmY 

Image Sources: 
https://dennstedt.wordpress.com/2017/11/18/one-of-natures-finest-the-blue-morpho-butterfly/ Accessed 27 May 2018. 
Orfescu, Cris. Light through a Pinhole No.2. https://www.interaliamag.org/articles/cris-orfescu-nanoart-atomic-molecular-sculptures-and-landscapes/ Accessed 27 May 2018. 
Sommerer, Christa and Laurent Mignonneau. Nano-Scape. 2010. John Curtin Gallery, Perth. https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology. Accessed 24 May 2018. 

Unit 7: Neuroscience + Art

Map of neurons 

The brain is a complex organ central to our personality and individuality, and responsible for our vivid dreams and our consciousness (Vesna). Although, there is ongoing debates as to what it really means to be conscious or unconscious, we know the brain is vital for our cognitive processes. Neurons are the "butterflies of our soul" (Vesna), and are what allows information to be received and transmitted. Ramón y Cajal is known as the Father of neuroscience, and was able to deduce connections between neurons by looking at their shape. One of Ramón y Cajal's work titled "Architecture of Life" illustrates the complexity and complications of the neural connections. His depiction of a neuron reminds me of a tree, with the neural connections branching out from the root or start of a single neuron.

Building upon the foundation that Ramón y Cajal laid out, artist Greg Dunn uses a technique known as microetching to depict the neurons. While Ramón y Cajal's art was hand drawn, Dunn uses a computer to create a high-resolution image and finishes off with gold leaf to achieve a modern aesthetic. He suitably titles his work "Cortical Circuitboard", as the neurons do eerily resemble connections within a computer circuit.  

Modern depiction of neurons

A realistic, but fake street

The fascination of neuroscience led to the rise of neuroculture, where neuroscience permeates into our daily lives (Frazzetto and Anker). We see neuroscience in multiple aspects of our culture from video games to tv commercials for various medicines. There is even a city-wide festival called "Brainwave" in New York!

There are no physical limits to our dreams, and as Jung believed, they often represent our collective unconscious (Vesna). The brain has the ability to remap and accommodate to current stimuli and environment (Cohen). Known as neuroplasticity the brain can change itself by remodeling neurons (Frazzetto and Anker). This concept is important for the adjustment of our brains to our environment. Interestingly, our memories are also changeable (Max). Artist Qifeng Chen created an AI that designs a street based on an imaginative neural network (Reynolds). Chen programmed his AI to create realistic scenes based upon what the brain is familiar with in terms of street layout. This street looks like a real street, but does not exist in this world, which leads me to wonder about the limitations of the brain and its ability to be deceived based on the reliance of patterns. 

Sources:
Cohen, Mark. "Neuroscience-Mark Cohen.mov." YouTube, uploaded by Victoria Vesna, 12 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDq8uTROeXU
Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. "Neuroculture." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vol. 10, 2009, pp. 815-821, https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2736. Accessed 17 May 2018. 
Max, D.T.. "Swann's Hypothesis." The New York Times, 4 November 2007, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/books/review/Max-t.html, Accessed 20 May 2018. 
Reynold, Matt. "AI artist conjures up convincing fake worlds from memories." New Scientist, 14 August 2017. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2143784-ai-artist-conjures-up-convincing-fake-worlds-from-memories/. Accessed 20 May 2018. 
Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 17 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI
Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt2.mov." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 17 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFv4owX3MZo

Image Sources: 
Chen, Qifeng. "AI artist conjures up convincing fake worlds from memories." https://www.newscientist.com/article/2143784-ai-artist-conjures-up-convincing-fake-worlds-from-memories/. Accessed 20 May 2018. 
Dunn, Greg. "Cortical Circuitboard." https://www.livescience.com/49060-brain-artwork-gallery.html. Accessed 20 May 2018. 
Ramon y Cajal, Santiago. "Architecture of Life." https://www.artsy.net/artist/santiago-ramon-y-cajal?page=1&sort=-partner_updated_at. Accessed 20 May 2018. 

Event 3: California Science Center

Display in front of the
California Science Center entrance

I had an incredible time at the California Science Center. I typically associate the word museum with artwork, such as paintings and sculptures, so this museum/center was complete shift from that paradigm. What is unique about this museum is that it is completely centered around science. All the exhibits and artwork are associated to a branch of science, from astronomy to molecular biology and chemistry. Right before the entrance is a display of suspended golden orbs. I think this display elegantly captures what the California Science Center is; the California Science Center aims to teach and inform people about various scientific topics in an artistic and visual manner. Without context, this fixture itself could be a work of art, but in this specific context, this display reminds me of space and how our universe is estimated to have trillions of planets and is filled with so many discoveries and possibilities. The California Science Center can be seen as a bridge, a merging of the two cultures (Vesna).

There was a wide arrange of exhibitions, including one on Fear, Air & Space endeavors, and even King Tut! I enjoyed all of them but my personal favorite was the World of Life exhibit. The World of Life exhibit focused on biology- from the microscopic level to the macroscopic level. Similar to Joan Fontcuberta's work Hemogram that uses blood as self- portraits (Fontcuberta), blood was a main component for many of the exhibits. A display titled Blood and Hearts Exhibit aimed to illustrate that blood is a shared bodily fluid between many of the animals, and even showcased an actual heart! The Blood and Hearts display was an interactive display that allowed you to match

Blood and Hearts Exhibit 

each animal with its heart rate. It was almost like a game that subtly informed you about this process.

Model of Carbon Nanotube 

Another exhibit focused around nanotechnology, which is a future unit for this class. Nanotechnology involves control of matter at the atomic and molecular level and has potential to impact our lives (Gimzewski & Vesna). Nanotechnology will be more present in the future as scientists use nanotech to develop products of various characteristics, including a higher strength and a lower weight. This interactive model allowed one to see the structure of a carbon nanotube, a conductive, sturdy, and lightweight material used in nanotechnology. I liked how the model was blown-up, so that you could understand and see the structure at nanotechnology, since nanotechnology occurs at the nanoscale and is typically not visible to the eye. The model could be taken apart and played with, allowing you to see the honeycomb shape that allows the carbon nanotube to have it strength. 

The California Science Center is filled with immersive and comprehensive exhibits that spark your curiosity and teach you new things. I highly recommend visiting this museum because it was a very interactive museum that presented knowledge in a fun and engaging manner!

My twin sister Christina and me!

Sources:
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between." Leonardo, vol. 34, no. 2, 2001, pp. 121-125, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1577014. Accessed 13 May 2018.
Fontcuberta, Joan. "Hemograms". 1998. http://angelsbarcelona.com/en/artists/joan-fontcuberta/projects/hemogramas/107. Accessed 15 May 2018.
Gimzewski, Jim & Vesna, Victoria. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of fact & fiction in the construction of a new science". 2003. http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm Accessed 16 May 2018. 

Unit 6: Biotechnology + Art

In previous units, we learned about multidisciplinary projects that involve fields such as mathematics and robotics. Biology is a completely different field that deals with tangible, living organisms. Biology is the study of life, which immediately raises ethical questions regarding BioArt because life is much more intricate and complex than a robot; all lives must be respected and treated properly. 

DNA- carries our genetic information. 

Alba, the GFP Bunny

            Eduardo Kac is a bioartist that created Alba, a transgenic bunny that glows green when illuminated with blue light (Vesna). While Kac’s reasons for creating a “GFP Bunny” extends beyond the novelty of it, I question the ethics of doing such a project. I agree that the “GFP Bunny” can be a social event, create dialogue between art and science, and extend the concepts of biodiversity and evolution, but the implications of his project are huge (Kac). This transgenic artwork created by Kac sets a precedent and suggests that inserting genes into living organisms for the purpose of art is permissible. While I understand Kac’s intentions, I believe that artists should have restrictions because unlike the GFP gene, an artist may want to inject a more dangerous gene such as a disease-causing one, intentionally causing an animal to experience pain. 

Kathy High's Embracing Animal project

In fact, this has been done by artist Kathy High. In her project “Embracing Animal”, the similarities between humans and animals are explored. As part of the project, High injected mice with oncogenes, inducing them to have cancer (Levy). While Kathy High clearly outlines on her website that she holistically treated the mice in an empathetic manner, not every artist will do the same (High). An artist may purposefully transfer harmful genes into an animal with no intention of curing it. Scientific research uses animals as well, but the end goals are different- research aims to cure and understand, while art aims to explore and create. Both are important, but the goals of BioArt lack the justification of allowing free creative control of doing anything an artist wants, especially since living animals are able to process emotions and feel pain. 

While the creativity of an artist is a great strength, it does come with ramifications if properly misused. There will always exist “hackers” that try to reconfigure the system from within and push the boundaries of creativity beyond what is ethically and morally acceptable (Kelty). Thus, BioArt should be regulated and limited out of respect for life and the protection of life. 

Sources:

High, Kathy. “Embracing Animal.” http://kathyhigh.com/project-embracing-animal.html. Accessed 13 May 2018.

Kac, Eduardo. “GFP Bunny.” http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor. Accessed 13 May 2018.  

Kelty, Chris. “Meanings of Participation: Outlaw Biology?” 2010, pp. 1-8.  

Levy, Ellen. “Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classification.” Context Providers: Condition of Meaning in Media Arts. Intellect Ltd, 2011, pp. 1-22. 

Vesna, Victoria. “5 bioart pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 13 September 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 BioArt pt 3.” YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 17 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=3EpD3np1S2g.

Image Sources:

Kac, Eduardo. “GFP Bunny.” http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.thumbnail.jpg. Accessed 13 May 2018.

High, Kathy. “Embracing Animal.” http://www.embracinganimal.com/install/06installation.jpg. Accessed 13 May 2018.

https://briandcolwell.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/c3b336da-3353-4646-8ff1-76425b97a629.jpg. Accessed 13 May 2018.