Ecocentric Art + Science Symposium

April 21st, 2017

Picture with Linda Weintraub who was one of the hosts
of the symposium.

I visited the Ecocentric Art + Science Symposium which was hosted by Linda Weintraub and Victoria Vesna.  Weintraub's lecture is about Eco-materialism/ contemporary artists where she brings up several artists including Natalie Jeremijenko and Jae Rhim Lee. Jeremijenko is an environmentalist who discovered that about 80% of streams and rivers are laced with pharmaceuticals. Even though it may seem to be industrial causes, Jeremijenko stresses that individuals are also causes through uses of drugs such as anti-depressants and birth control pills. Her solution to the contaminated water crisis is the use of tadpole walker which essentially uses tadpoles to assess water quality. Opposite to Jereminjenko's beliefs, Lee believes that humans/consumers are the cause of pollution.  In one of her experiments, Lee grew Napa Cabbage using her own urine and used the cabbage to make kimchee.

Linda Weintraub giving her lecture on
the different contemporary artists including
Natalie Jeremijenko and Jae Rhim Lee.

Nanoscientist James Grimzewski touched on the topic of how nanotechnology can be used to help the environment. He first explained how most of the energy that humans use is thrown away. Nanotechnology is anything that deals with nano sized objects such as atoms or molecules.

James Grimzewski giving his lecture
on nanotechnology and its possible uses.

The creation of tadpole walkers, using one's own urine to make food, and nanotechnology highlights that creativity is important, as Benjamin Walter had indicated. The Science Symposium has helped me realize that many of today's ingenious and highly effective machines could not have been created without a level of creativity and originality. As Albert Einstein had said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge". There is not much use if someone only understands the mechanics but does not have the ingenuity to think past. Using an all natural resource such as a frog, as a tool to measure water quality is possible when someone understands the mechanics of science/ environment but also has an artistic and spontaneous side. The two are necessary parts are needed in producing the machines we have today.  In that sense, science and contemporary art intersect and are much more related than what people may believe.

This event has helped me get a sense of what I should use for the midterm. I would like to think of something, completely new, that would encompass not only robotics and art, but also benefit the environment. I would definitely recommend my classmates to attend this event as it helps one to see how closely related contemporary art and science connect well together as well as have environmental benefits.