I don't know about you, but when I go to an art exhibit, I don't really expect to see EEGs, Rube Goldberg machines, and 3D printed sculptures. But hey, Caltech likes to do things a little differently.
Last term, some of friends took an art + project class called New Media Arts (E/H/Art89). During the first five weeks, students studied 20th and 21st century art with an emphasis on works that used new technologies and unconventional methods. During the last five weeks, students were given $400 to create their very own art project, one that used their tech background to create something new and innovative. And during finals week, the instructor put together an art exhibit featuring everyone's work in Jorgensen, our new sustainable energy laboratory:
One of the newest buildings on campus, and the perfect location for a modern art exhibit
What kind of final project could a student possibly create for a class like this? If you're like most techers in the class, you probably have some vague idea for a uber cool project. Here's what the instructor recommended: "Now is your chance to get credit while building that thing you want to bring to Burning Man 2013, the nonsensical app you've been dreaming of making, the wearable electronic musical instrument you wish you could play but doesn't yet exist, or otherwise having fun with your technical chops."
Having fun with our technical chops? That's what techers do best! Here are some of the art projects featured at the exhibit, in no particular order:
Mindgarden: Mindgarden is a visualization of a mind's exploration of new ideas. Electrical potentials in your brain are recorded using an EEG, and slowly a record of your thoughts is displayed in the form of a tree. Novelty detection is done, so that if you think thoughts significantly more different than those you have already thought, the tree will expand, growing new branches, whereas if you make no attempt to change your thought patterns, the growth will cease, and the tree will begin to wither and retreat. The water nourishing the tree is a visualization of the raw waveform acquired from your frontal cortex.
This IS Magritte: If you've read my previous blog posts, you'll know that my favorite artist is the surrealist painter Rene Magritte, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw this piece at the exhibit. It's a purely mechanical Rube Goldberg machine inspired by Magritte. The motivation for the work, according to the artist, is to bring the surreal elements in his paintings into reality and let them interact.
Pareidolian: This demonic kinetic sculpture explores the concept of pareidolia, our tendency to attribute significance to meaningless stimuli. The creature consisted of three pareidolian components: a multi-scale turing pattern 'face,' scribbles drawn on a scroll of paper by the figure's arms, and auditory, whispered ramblings.
Neurocomposer: This work is built around a consumer-grade EEG neuroheadset, which interfaces with a computer to provide guidance to an algorithmic composer. An untrained user can use this intuitive interface to collaborate with the computer in the creation of unique pieces of music. The music is rendered in real time through virtual instrumentation, providing the user with feedback on the state of the algorithmic composer and the end product of the collaboration.
Metal Heart: A bare solenoid strikes an aluminum-coated model of a human heart at an average heart rate. A fundamental biological human process has now been automated by an electrical circuit, serving as a reflection on human autonomy in light of technological progress.
Exoskeleton: An illuminated, programmable garment with several components. While attracting attention with the bright EL-wire, the hood almost entirely hides the wearer's face from view. The general shape of the hood, chest and wire designs was inspired not only be armor but also biological forms, like a plated exoskeleton.
A Homotopy Study: A well known theorem in geometry tells us that all three-dimensional compact connected surfaces can be characterized by their number of holes. This project aimed to study the continuous maps that transform everyday objects into mathematical structures.
Automatart: What happens when you give two robots ink and a canvas!
With a total of 15 incredible art projects, the exhibit proved to be a welcome distraction from our final exams and problem sets. And if projects like these appeal to you, consider checking out the course's official syllabus and taking the class when you come to Caltech!
Disclaimer: Most photos were shamelessly taken from facebook, since my iPhone camera does not really do the art pieces justice.
Until next time,
Ketaki
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