EVENT 3: CREATING FERTILE GROUND BY DR. CLAUDIA SCHNUGG

Proof of attendance
This was a very interesting and useful event, because Dr. Claudia Schnugg is trying to answer a question that we have been trying to answer this quarter: “Why should scientists bother to collaborate with artists?”. Dr. Claudia Schnugg is a researcher in intersections of art and aesthetics with science, technology and business, and producer of art and science collaboration. During her research many scientists and corporations asked her the same question. Through her research she found out that through collaboration with artists, both scientists and corporations can experience their own work differently and gain new perspectives. Furthermore, they also gain access to new knowledge, methods and technologies, which could lead to more idea generation and creativity. This is a very effective way to ensure constant advancement in the scientific, corporate and the artistic worlds.

An example that Dr. Schnugg discussed is called Agent Unicorn, which is a collaboration project by the artist Anouk Wipprecht and a team of neuroscientists. Agent Unicorn is a horn shaped headpiece, which has dry EEG electrodes on the bottom and a camera. The EEG is meant to track the electric signals in our brain, and trigger the camera to start recording when the wearer’s focus threshold hits a certain level. The idea is to capture the exact events that capture the wearer’s attention. The wearer can later view this recording, if they would like to understand what events during the day have captured their attention. This would be a great way to learn about what captures children’s attention as well as understanding more about the problems associated with ADHD. This could maybe be used to study and create a more effective educational system for children suffering with ADHD. This is a great example of how collaboration between artists and scientists can spark creativity and lead to advancement.

Another example that Dr. Schnugg discusses, that really stood out for me is called SOYA C(O)U(L)TURE and is developed by XXLab. Tofu is a key component of the diet in Indonesia. However, the production of tofu from soya bean has a undesired byproduct, which is disposed of in rivers as liquid waste. This waste is poisoning the aquatic life in the rivers. XXLab came up with a way to use bacteria and tissue culture to turn this liquid waste into fabric. This fabric is then used in the textile industry. This is once again a collaboration between artists and scientists, and another great example of the benefits of collaboration.

Dr. Schnugg gave a brief overview of a few more projects before discussing another important topic. The importance of artists collaborating with scientists has been apparent since many decades, however the importance of scientists collaborating with artists is still not widely known. There are very few science residencies in art community in existence currently, and there is a definite need to increase this significantly. The main qualm that scientists have is that a residency like that would cause them to lose a year of research, and keep them disconnected from the overall scientific community. However, what is often forgotten, is that this experience could open new avenues for scientists, as they gain a whole new perspective on their own work.



I would most definitely recommend this event. It is directly related to the core topic of this class, and helped me better understand this intersection between art and science.

REFERENCES:

  • Scholl, Markus, Magdalena Sick-Leitner, Vanessa Graf, Matt Robinson, Lara Weikard, and Martin Hieslmair. "Agent Unicorn – The first SPARKS Residency Wearable by Anouk Wipprecht." Ars Electronica Blog. N.p., 15 Mar. 2016. Web. 04 June 2017. <https://www.aec.at/aeblog/en/2016/03/15/agent-unicorn/>.
  • "Soya C(O)U(L)TURE." XXLAB. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2017. <http://xxlab.honfablab.org/soya-coulture/>.
  • Claudia Schnugg. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2017. <http://www.claudiaschnugg.com/>.



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