ArtSci2002: New Dimensions in Collaboration

December 6 - 8, 2002 at the
American Museum of Natural History and the CUNY Graduate Center, NYC.
[See http://www.asci.org]

Presented by Art & Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI) in partnership with The American Museum of Natural History & Continuing Education & Public Programs at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Collaborating Institutions: Arts Council of England (Collaborative Arts Unit), UK; Arts Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; Australian Network for Art & Technology; Banff New Media Institute [BNMI], Banff Center, Alberta, Canada; Leonardo/ISAST; The SMARTlab Centre & The Radical Project, The London Institute; School of Art & Design, University of Michigan; Science and the Arts Program, CUNY Graduate Center; SINAPSE, Department of Design ?edia Arts, UCLA


Reviewed by Amy Ione
PO Box 12748,
Berkley, CA 94712 USA
ione@diatrope.com

Those who know ASCI (Art & Science, Collaborations, Inc.) have come to respect this group's success in creating the means for people from many disciplines to meet and exchange ideas. ArtSci2002: New Dimensions in Collaboration, ASCI's fourth annual symposium, was no exception. An international audience of artists, scientists, technologists, humanists, educators, philosophers, theorists, and others came together to learn about the work of colleagues and network with others in the field. The event began at the recently mounted Einstein exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History, a show that nicely meshed with this year's Einstein theme. Here an informal tour provided an opportunity to engage with the work of the man Time Magazine named the most influential person of the twentieth century. This carefully crafted show succinctly demonstrated that Einstein's name is easily invoked when we talk about time, space, atomic energy, the Big Bang, the quantum revolution, and innovative electronics (among other things).

In the evening the opening reception amidst the dinosaurs and early mammals was capped by the Keynote address, "Einstein's Legacy Inspires New Art." Introduced by Brian Greene, a physicist and author of the best-selling book, The Elegant Universe, the choreographer, Sandra Kaufmann and playwright/videographer Michael Bassett spoke of their multi-media play Superstrings (inspired by Brian Greene's work on string theory, and commissioned by the Sloan Foundation for the Ensemble Studio Theatre). String theory is a theory of particle physics that treats elementary particles as extended one-dimensional "string-like" objects rather than as the dimensionless points in space-time used in other theories. The appeal of the theory is that it posits a means for bridging the gap between quantum mechanics and general relativity. At this point we know that quantum mechanics excels in explaining what happens when things are very small or light, like molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles. General relativity, on the other hand, applies to studies on a very large or massive scale such as galaxies and the universe itself. To date the two theories have appeared to be incommensurate, Of course one of the attractions of string theory is that it endeavors to bring quantum mechanics and general relativity into a common framework. Kaufmann and Bassett endeavor to address the essence of the hypothesis metaphorically.

Articulating varied experiments to translate the theoretical ideas into a dynamic form, this collaborative team effectively captured the creative process at work, as well as the excitations of the string and the interactions that allow for quantum field theory and the geometry of surfaces to interact. A combination of clips and description conveyed the intentions of the production. Compelling as their presentation was, I was disappointed to hear so much about the play and to see so little of it directly. Also, in retrospect, I regret having neglected to ask them if they thought their 'metaphoric' interpretation would still be valid as art if string theory does not pass the test of time. The remainder of the symposium took place at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Here a variety of events provided an excellent overview and introduction to the range of possibilities that fall into the art/sci rubric. Among the activities were eight collaborative presentations related to Einstein legacy, this year's theme. Albert & Isadora, the premiere performance of a short work by Lori Belilove, (Artistic Director of the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation) and Sidney Perkowitz, (physicist /Emory University) definitely hit the right notes. Produced by Brian Schwartz, (physicist /CUNY Graduate Center) the visual and verbal dynamics Belilove and Perkowitz presented effectively linked Albert Einstein and Isadora Duncan. Most exciting was the way the well-integrated dance sequences emotively encouraged the audience to connect with the multi-dimensional contributions of these two well known figures. In my opinion, the directness of this creative presentation translated better than the verbal descriptions and clips offered by the keynote team.

"Acting Physics" also connected well with the Einstein theme. Monica Sand (a sculptor and video artist) and Bjorn Jonson (a physicist) combined art, mathematics, and physics. Much like the sculpture of the physicist Robert R. Wilson, the first Director of Fermilab, the Sand/Jonson pieces successfully joined artistic expression with scientific concepts. Jonson's video statement was hard to follow due to audio problems, but nonetheless the work itself conveyed that a collaborative impulse nurtured the final result. Another presentation of note was "Explorations and Visualizations of Higher Dimensional Julia Sets" by Daniel Sandin, who collaborates with Louis H. Kauffman (a mathematician). While I could not follow all of the details, the animated fractal images Sandin presented certainly were a visual treat. The symposium also included a number of interactive sessions, product demonstrations, and workshops. I particularly liked the breakout sessions, and others I spoke to confirmed their value. Hopefully future symposia will include more. Each was presented as a question.

The thematically framed questions ranged from funding to professional development to theoretical issues debated within the art/sci field. Since the breakouts were scheduled concurrently, it was impossible to visit all, a limitation well known to all who attend conferences and symposia. One session that particularly impressed me posed the question: "How can art and science proceed past a simple influence model, where each discipline is in someway effected by the other, to a more complex convergence model, where the trajectories of each discipline become interwoven and interdependent without being dominate or dominated?" The passion attendees brought to this topic no doubt was key to this session's impact. Greg Little, Brain Betz, and Dena Eber, the session leaders, never had a chance to introduce their own views. Instead, a lively discussion immediately made it clear that there were many points of view present. The audience debated how we should define collaboration, the need to distinguish between science and technology, and whether we incorrectly measure outcomes when we try to speak of what is immediately/explicitly evident from a collaborative project. Many believed that effects are often subtle and cross-disciplinary influences are likely integrated over time.

Due to a personal emergency I was (unfortunately) unable to attend the closing reception at The Taranto Gallery in Chelsea, which marked the opening of DIGITAL'02: Envisioning Space, Time & the Future. This fifth annual ASCI competition/exhibition was juried by Julia Van Haaften, (the Assistant Director of the Digital Library Program at the New York Public Library) and also related to the Einstein theme. Despite the imposition of the theme, as Van Haaften notes: "The most engaging aspect of the works selected was their democratic variety." Surveying the pieces (see http://asci.org/digital2002/), the democratic response is strikingly apparent. Christine Auda's "Sensuous Space," (an Epson Stylus Photo), has a luscious, amorphous quality. Auda's depth and color contrast nicely with my favorite piece, "Diffusion," by the New Zealand artist Debbie Hahn. Hahn's sensuality is presented more formally and the Canon BJ-W9000 print is monochromatic, thus quite unlike the Auda piece conceptually. Also of note is Liz Lee's response in "Interference Fringes Static." Using a striking visual illusion, she investigates the existence of an intangible object through the application of light. In addition, I was attracted to the way Lorraine Walsh's visualization in "Superstrings" added yet another perspective to the ideas introduced by the Keynote speakers.

Overall, I believe, ArtSci2002: New Dimensions in Collaboration was a success. As is often the case in a fine-tuned, complex program, there were some problems. Some events started late and, as a result, it wasn't always easy to know exactly where things stood. While we have all grown accustomed to the annoying technical issues that inevitably delay session start times in our technological era, I hope next year's program will seek a creative solution to speed up registration and admittance to the Keynote address. Still, on balance, given the expansive and comprehensive array ASCI presented, these delays were a small inconvenience. Once again, as is ASCI's tradition, art/sci enthusiasts were offered an exciting forum. Perhaps this was the most successful element of the event, for the symposium definitely offered a chance to informally meet, network, and exchange ideas in a nurturing environment. All in all, it is no wonder that ASCI has been a one of the leaders in promoting artist-scientist collaborations since the organization's inception 14 years ago.