"Man tries to make for himself in the fashion that suits him best a simplified and intelligible picture of the world; he then tries to some extent to substitute this cosmos of his for the world of experience, and thus to overcome it. This is what the painter, the poet, the speculative philosopher, and the natural scientist do, each in his own fashion. Each makes this cosmos and its construction the pivot of his emotional life, in order to find in this way the peace and security which he cannot find in the narrow whirlpool of personal experience. —Albert Einstein
"Art and Science: The Two Cultures Converging"
a conference hosted by The Helix Center & SciArt Center
What can art-science-tech collaborations result in? How do we form new educational models for the 21st century?
How do we bridge the gulf between art and science, and between art, science, and society?
How do we bridge the gulf between art and science, and between art, science, and society?
We have every reason to believe that different disciplines and dedications have much to gain from each other. Imhotep, one of the earliest polymaths, was a physician, astronomer, and an engineer - but, as an architect, he also had a gift for design, and as a poet, a penchant for the art of writing. Far away, millennia later, Zhang Heng became noted in the histories of the Han Dynasty as an early scientist and scholar, although this was not at any expense of talents for art, as his contemporary wrote that “the splendor of his art were one with those of the gods.” Likewise, in the works of Da Vinci and Hildegard de Bingen, to geniuses of our time, the bond between the sciences and art is observed across the world and throughout the ages.
This is not just true within individuals or a phenomena exclusively seen in great thinkers alone. It can be even be seen in daily life. Perhaps each field is even required for each other. Art has helped to advance science, through the drawing of star maps or the sketching of anatomy. Science has helped to advance art in turn, as understandings of physics and math have instructed perspective, but also increasing more in the technological era.
Two cultures converge as we discuss the significance of art and science in this series of roundtable discussions, breakout sessions, and artistic interludes.
This is not just true within individuals or a phenomena exclusively seen in great thinkers alone. It can be even be seen in daily life. Perhaps each field is even required for each other. Art has helped to advance science, through the drawing of star maps or the sketching of anatomy. Science has helped to advance art in turn, as understandings of physics and math have instructed perspective, but also increasing more in the technological era.
Two cultures converge as we discuss the significance of art and science in this series of roundtable discussions, breakout sessions, and artistic interludes.
Themes:
At the heart of this conference are the roundtable discussions, which invite participants to engage in progressive dialogue on the topics at hand. Avoiding the sometimes repetitive and scripted nature of slideshow presentations through this roundtable format, this conference aims to evolve the emerging and standing conversations between leaders in the art-science fields in order to make intellectual progress on the most difficult, interesting, novel, and complex challenges we face as cross-, multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary practitioners.
The roundtable topics include "Science-Art Collaboration," "STEAM & the Future of Education," and "Science, Art & Society." Each of the three session topics will repeat over the course of three days, creating six sessions in total, with unique participants for each round. Each round will conclude with a Q&A session open to all participants and audience members.
Science-Art Collaboration:
Collaboration between the arts and sciences has a rich history dating back to the Renaissance, and recently experienced a resurgence in the 1960s with the art-engineering group Experiments in Art & Technology. Even more recently, artists have begun to actively collaborate with scientists in all disciplines to expand their artistic reach. But collaboration is not a one-sided event, and the benefits of art and design to the fields of science and technology are well known, from Gould's drawings of Darwin's finches to the success story of Steve Jobs' Apple projects. Despite its rich history, collaboration has never been a simple process, and remains a difficult task, largely due to disciplinary boundaries emphasized in our educational system. There are many unanswered questions about the nature of collaboration, authorship of a collaborative product, funding for collaborative works, and the future of collaborations in our 21st century that warrant discussion. This roundtable topic will address these, and more questions on collaboration across the arts and sciences.
STEAM & the Future of Education:
STEAM - or ScienceTechnologyEngineeringArtMathematics - is the hot topic educational movement sweeping our nation and the world. Growing out of the emphasis to get more students in STEM subjects to remain a scientific and technologically advanced nation, STEAM was born in 2008, and advocates for the integration of arts and design learning in STEM. STEAM aims to foster well-rounded thinking, boost creativity in all fields, and encourages cross-disciplinary exchange to spark innovation by giving equal voice to the arts and sciences. This type of educational model not only breaks down disciplinary barriers, but allows students of all dispositions to engage in STEAM subjects from various points of view, where one can find science through art, or art through technology, or mathematics through design. As with any new movement, there is much uncharted territory in STEAM, and ample area for exploration, expansion, and revision of curricula. This roundtable topic will address the current state of STEAM and the future of education at large.
Science, Art & Society:
The multi-directional relationship between science, art, and society is in great need of repair. Due to the casting out of beauty from art and validity of facts from science by Postmodernism, art and science both suffer from a disconnect with the public.This disconnect is well reflected in the lack of funding for the arts and the lack of science literacy nationwide. This disconnect also exists between the worlds of art and science themselves, needlessly hampering what could be a well-accepted and embraced partnership in addressing and solving our 21st century opportunities and problems. As cultural and intellectual authorities, it is up to the arts and sciences to bridge the gulf between art, science, and society. This roundtable topic will address the steps we can take towards mending these relationships and how we may reach a more holistic society.
The roundtable topics include "Science-Art Collaboration," "STEAM & the Future of Education," and "Science, Art & Society." Each of the three session topics will repeat over the course of three days, creating six sessions in total, with unique participants for each round. Each round will conclude with a Q&A session open to all participants and audience members.
Science-Art Collaboration:
Collaboration between the arts and sciences has a rich history dating back to the Renaissance, and recently experienced a resurgence in the 1960s with the art-engineering group Experiments in Art & Technology. Even more recently, artists have begun to actively collaborate with scientists in all disciplines to expand their artistic reach. But collaboration is not a one-sided event, and the benefits of art and design to the fields of science and technology are well known, from Gould's drawings of Darwin's finches to the success story of Steve Jobs' Apple projects. Despite its rich history, collaboration has never been a simple process, and remains a difficult task, largely due to disciplinary boundaries emphasized in our educational system. There are many unanswered questions about the nature of collaboration, authorship of a collaborative product, funding for collaborative works, and the future of collaborations in our 21st century that warrant discussion. This roundtable topic will address these, and more questions on collaboration across the arts and sciences.
STEAM & the Future of Education:
STEAM - or ScienceTechnologyEngineeringArtMathematics - is the hot topic educational movement sweeping our nation and the world. Growing out of the emphasis to get more students in STEM subjects to remain a scientific and technologically advanced nation, STEAM was born in 2008, and advocates for the integration of arts and design learning in STEM. STEAM aims to foster well-rounded thinking, boost creativity in all fields, and encourages cross-disciplinary exchange to spark innovation by giving equal voice to the arts and sciences. This type of educational model not only breaks down disciplinary barriers, but allows students of all dispositions to engage in STEAM subjects from various points of view, where one can find science through art, or art through technology, or mathematics through design. As with any new movement, there is much uncharted territory in STEAM, and ample area for exploration, expansion, and revision of curricula. This roundtable topic will address the current state of STEAM and the future of education at large.
Science, Art & Society:
The multi-directional relationship between science, art, and society is in great need of repair. Due to the casting out of beauty from art and validity of facts from science by Postmodernism, art and science both suffer from a disconnect with the public.This disconnect is well reflected in the lack of funding for the arts and the lack of science literacy nationwide. This disconnect also exists between the worlds of art and science themselves, needlessly hampering what could be a well-accepted and embraced partnership in addressing and solving our 21st century opportunities and problems. As cultural and intellectual authorities, it is up to the arts and sciences to bridge the gulf between art, science, and society. This roundtable topic will address the steps we can take towards mending these relationships and how we may reach a more holistic society.
Participants:
Hosts:
SciArt CenterJulia Buntaine is a neuroscience-based visual artist, director and co-founder of SciArt Center, and editor in chief and founder of SciArt Magazine. Buntaine attained her BA in neuroscience and sculpture from Hampshire College, her post-baccalaureate certificate in Studio Art from Maryland Institute College of Art, and her MFA of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts. She has exhibited nationally and internationally including shows in Amherst, New York City, Baltimore, Seattle, Madison, Princeton, London, Toronto, Knokke, and others. Her work can be found in the permanent collection of Johns Hopkins University. She also teaches, consults, curates, and frequently writes about art, and is currently an adjunct "Innovator-in-Residence" at Rutgers University and a visiting artist at Lafayette College. Buntaine lives and works in New York City.
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The Helix CenterEdward Nersessian is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Weill-Cornell Medical College, Training and Supervising Psychoanalyst at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, Distinguished Life Member of the American Psychiatric Association, and Corresponding Member of Societe Psychanalytique de Paris. He is co-founder and first co-editor of the journal Neuropsychoanalysis, co-editor of theTextbook of Psychoanalysis and of Controversies in Contemporary Psychoanalysis. He has published papers on a variety of psychoanalytic subjects and his current interest is reassessing the fundamental tenets of psychoanalytic theory. Co-founder of the Philoctetes Center, he is the founder and current Director of the Helix Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.
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Schedule:
December 1, Friday:
6:30-7:30pm: Conference kick-off reception & opening remarks (snacks and refreshments will be served)
7:30-9pm: Science-Art Collaboration Roundtable #1
(Mark Rosin, Shane Mayak, Tyler Volk, Noah Hutton, Jame McCray, and Monica Aiello)
December 2, Saturday:
9am: Doors open
9:30-11am: STEAM & the Future of Education Roundtable #1
(Roger Malina, Nirav Patel, Elizabeth Waters, Tarah Rhoda, Alana Quinn, and Tyler Aiello)
11-11:15am: Artistic Interlude curated by Cynthia Pannucci of Art & Science Collaborations
11:15am-11:30am: Coffee break
11:30am-1pm: Science, Art & Society Roundtable #1
(Erik Hoel, Alana Quinn, Ben Lillie, David Grinspoon, Elizabeth Demaray, and Stuart Firestein)
1-2:15pm Lunch on your own
2:15-3:45pm: Science-Art Collaboration Roundtable #2
(Daniel Kohn, Edgar Choureiri, Tega Brain, Patricia Olynyk, Karen Ingram, and Alexis Gambis)
3:45-4pm: Artistic Interlude curated by Jame Mcray
4-4:15pm: Coffee break
4:15-5:45pm: STEAM & the Future of Education Roundtable #2
(Harvey Seifter, Jill Bargonetti, Paul Fry, Cynthia Pannucci, Daniel Grushkin, and Ellen Levy)
7-9:30pm: Art night out!
Art reception & refreshments at UES Gallery, 208 E 73rd St, New York NY*
*This reception is the opening night of “The Void and the Cloud,” a science-based art exhibition hosted by SciArt Center in
tandem with this conference. The reception is open the public and will include music and refreshments. Conference participants
are encouraged to attend.
December 3, Sunday:
9:30am: Doors open
10-11:30am: Science, Art & Society Roundtable #2
(Natalie Jeremijenko, Suzanne Anker, Daniel Hill, Amelia Amon, Paul Browde, Nancy Princenthal, and Farzad Mahootian)
11:30-11:45am: Artistic Interlude by Dr. Shirley Mueller
11:45am-12:15pm: Wrap Up - Science-Art Futures: What does the future hold for science, art, technology, education, and society? How do we move forward from here? All participants will take part in this session.
12:15-12:30pm: Closing remarks
12:30-1pm: Make your own Polyhedra Nightlight (courtesy of Eurekus), and business card exchange/networking time
1pm: End
6:30-7:30pm: Conference kick-off reception & opening remarks (snacks and refreshments will be served)
7:30-9pm: Science-Art Collaboration Roundtable #1
(Mark Rosin, Shane Mayak, Tyler Volk, Noah Hutton, Jame McCray, and Monica Aiello)
December 2, Saturday:
9am: Doors open
9:30-11am: STEAM & the Future of Education Roundtable #1
(Roger Malina, Nirav Patel, Elizabeth Waters, Tarah Rhoda, Alana Quinn, and Tyler Aiello)
11-11:15am: Artistic Interlude curated by Cynthia Pannucci of Art & Science Collaborations
11:15am-11:30am: Coffee break
11:30am-1pm: Science, Art & Society Roundtable #1
(Erik Hoel, Alana Quinn, Ben Lillie, David Grinspoon, Elizabeth Demaray, and Stuart Firestein)
1-2:15pm Lunch on your own
2:15-3:45pm: Science-Art Collaboration Roundtable #2
(Daniel Kohn, Edgar Choureiri, Tega Brain, Patricia Olynyk, Karen Ingram, and Alexis Gambis)
3:45-4pm: Artistic Interlude curated by Jame Mcray
4-4:15pm: Coffee break
4:15-5:45pm: STEAM & the Future of Education Roundtable #2
(Harvey Seifter, Jill Bargonetti, Paul Fry, Cynthia Pannucci, Daniel Grushkin, and Ellen Levy)
7-9:30pm: Art night out!
Art reception & refreshments at UES Gallery, 208 E 73rd St, New York NY*
*This reception is the opening night of “The Void and the Cloud,” a science-based art exhibition hosted by SciArt Center in
tandem with this conference. The reception is open the public and will include music and refreshments. Conference participants
are encouraged to attend.
December 3, Sunday:
9:30am: Doors open
10-11:30am: Science, Art & Society Roundtable #2
(Natalie Jeremijenko, Suzanne Anker, Daniel Hill, Amelia Amon, Paul Browde, Nancy Princenthal, and Farzad Mahootian)
11:30-11:45am: Artistic Interlude by Dr. Shirley Mueller
11:45am-12:15pm: Wrap Up - Science-Art Futures: What does the future hold for science, art, technology, education, and society? How do we move forward from here? All participants will take part in this session.
12:15-12:30pm: Closing remarks
12:30-1pm: Make your own Polyhedra Nightlight (courtesy of Eurekus), and business card exchange/networking time
1pm: End
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Media partners & participants:
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