Extra Credit Event 1 I Discovery Cube OC

For this event, I decided to try something different and head out of LA to check out the Discovery Cube in Orange County. My first impression as I drove by and saw the massive cube structure was that the building itself was a work of art that publicized science. Although the museum was built as an education tool for children, I couldn’t help but be excited to check out the inside.

My outside view of the Cube as I drove by

Unfortunately, my visit was just a few days short of checking out the new exhibits as the center was preparing to open it’s new expansion and my phone died as I prepared to enter so I couldn’t capture all the photos I wanted. Despite these set backs, there was still a ton to see. There were different sections dedicated to a variety of scientific and technological concepts from global ecology to rocket ships. These exhibits are tailored to make children scientifically literate and you could feel their excitement and interest as they ran around trying every set up they could get their hands on.

                                             

                Me preparing to enter the Discovery Cube

I feel that places like the Discovery Cube are a perfect example of how art and science can be melded in order to advance public knowledge. A ton of scientific concepts were put on display in aesthetically pleasing, interactive exhibits in a way that made kids excited to play and learn. Getting children into science early on using art is important in ensuring the development of a scientifically literate population.

The Dino Quest exhibit outside of the Discovery Center

Event 3 I This is the End

A few days after checking out the Provocations exhibit, my cousin and classmate, Martina Dorff, and I decided to head back to the Hammer Museum to see some of the other unique pieces on display.  We came across the special video curation of This is the End and checked out “Even Pricks” by Ed Atkins. I think it is safe to say that this piece was one of the weirdest videos I had ever seen and me and Martina are still talking about it weeks later.

Me and my cousin Martina

“Even Pricks” seemed to cycle between several featured themes. As we watched we noticed the repetition of intense forms of word art, thumbs/arms, and a talking monkey. To me the most enjoyable of these was the monkey as some of the word art and arm presentations made me feel uneasy. I could feel the intense surround sound in the room during these two themes and with the simultaneous oddities on screen, I experienced the work with three different senses. When the monkey came on screen in between the arms and words, I actual felt a relative relief.

The monkey during one of the more relaxing scenes

My thumb superimposed over one of the thumb shots

I am unsure if Atkins’ purpose in creating this work was to stir discomfort in his audience but what I do know is that his use of different technologies in creating this art makes it effective at stirring a response. The room’s surround sound certainly added to the high quality albeit weird visuals presented on screen. I think that whatever he was trying to convey, be it the uneasiness I felt or otherwise, the art would have been less effective without the use of cutting edge technology.

An example of some of the word art to which I responded, "No thanks."

Event 2 I Provocations

After class, my friends and I decided to make our first trip to the Hammer Museum of our undergraduate careers in order to check out the Provocations Exhibit. The work featured there was created by Heatherwick Studio, an architecture/design group led by Thomas Heatherwick. The studio follows a collaborative and creative process when designing anything leading to the unique pieces we saw there.

Me at the Exhibit Entrance

The Heatherwick Studio philosophy when creating anything focuses on the “human scale” as they put it. They wanted their work to be centered on the people that would be using it.  From handbags to buildings, their designs centered on this idea.  This philosophy, combined with their approach to the architectural process led to some of the most unique building models I have ever seen.

The stuff on display ranged from designs for a multi-spiraled building to handbags.

The way that each model was one of a kind baffled me at points. As I wondered about the artist’s intent in creating certain statues out of tin foil and how cool a two story desert oasis park would be to visit, I remembered the actual title of the exhibit, Provocations. Each piece at the exhibit provoked some sort of thought in me.  Additionally, the whole process of designing each piece depended on provoking and challenging the team.

Me by some sculptures I didn't fully understand.

Ultimately, the way in which the Heatherwick Studio approached their designs reminded me of how creativity and technology can meld to create amazing things, the theme of our class. These architects used the conventional methods for construction and melded them with an artistic influence that led to such works of art as the Cauldron at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Event 1 I UCLA ArtSci Exhibit at the CNSI

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the UCLA ArtSci exhibit put on at the CNSI by a few of my fellow undergrads.  It seemed the perfect chance to see some of the actual work we had been studying in DESMA9 as well as support my peers. I discussed with some of the presenters about their experiences and many of them were science students who sought to tap into the third culture to maintain a creative outlet in the midst of their studies.

A Flier for the UCLA ArtSci Organization

One of the presenters that I met was Christina Kong. Her project was called “The Brain-Book” and involved making a flipbook in the shape of a brain.  Each section was divided into the major sections of the brain and the cartoons in each flipbook depicted the function of each region. We talked about the amount of effort she had to put in to portray each function and to be honest, I did not understand how she pulled it off on top of all her other obligations as a student. As a microbiology student, I do not get much exposure to this kind of information and Christina’s project made it both easy and fun to learn.

Me, Christina Kong, and her work, "The Brain Book"

Another project on display that interested me was “Crossroads” by Mickey Shi. Unfortunately, Mickey was not present while I attended but the description of the work was straightforward enough. People at the exhibit used pieces of yarn to denote their path through campus that day.  Seeing the paths cross from north to south campus depicted the prevalence of both the humanities and the sciences in the lives of the UCLA student.

Another piece of work that I enjoyed, "Crossroads" by Mickey Shi

In all, the ArtSci exhibit proved an exciting first event for me as I got to meet different artists who represented the material we learned about in class. I did not fully understand the effort that went in to being a part of this frontier in the art and science world so meeting some fellow students definitely put the movement into perspective.