Talk given by Roger Malina - at UC santa barbara

1. Science Is not Art
…but we sure need some help..
Or why a Scientist is now in a School of Arts
and Humanities
Roger F Malina
Distinguished Chair of Arts and Technology
And Professor of Physics
University of Texas at Dallas

2. the burgeoning art-science scene
• Sociologist Samuel
Bordreuil, Mediterranean
Institute for Advanced
Studies:
• « New social practices are
emerging..IMERA will
provide an environnement
where they can be
encouraged and studied »
• <<< Drew Hemment:
• Bio-Tagging

3. From….. Astrophysics
• Physics
• Space Astrophysics
• PI NASA Extreme
Ultraviolet Astronomy
Satellite at UC
Berkeley
• Director Laboratoire
d’Astrophysique de
Marseille, France
• Director Marseille
Observatory

4. To….scientific transdisciplinarity:
Institut Pytheas in Aix Marseille
University
• Brings together four « observational disciplines »
– Astronomy
– Ecology and Biodiversity
– GeoSciences/Environmental Sciences
– Oceanography
• It is really really difficult:
– Data, IP, Methods, Societal Contexts, Funding Cultures
– Big Data transitions, Curricula
• There are good reasons why we have disciplines
• Science is in-homogeneous, Must be problem driven

5. Why should astronomers work with
ecologists ?
• 03HP Climate Change
Observatory
• Installed at Observatoire
de Haute Provence
• Long term monitoring of
ecological drift
• Controlled experiment on
reduced rain fall
• Spectrometer for foliage
monitoring
• H Vasselin artist in
residence

6. Why should Astronomers work with
Ecologists
• ANTARES under sea
neutrino observatory
• Bioluminescence proved to
be dominant source of
noise in physics signal
• Underwater marine ecology
observatory established
using same infrastructure
• COSMOPHONE sound art
project at CPPM

7. Why Should Astronomers work
with Ecologists ?
• Detection of Vegetation in
the Spectrum of
Earthshine off the moon
• Measurements of total
earth albedo for climate
models
• Education outreach projects
at Observatory drawing on
public interest in astronomy
and ecology
• International Year of
Astronomy
• International Year of
Biodiversity

8. To Art-Science-Technology
The Leonardo Organisations
• Journal Founded 1967 Paris
• Founded ISAST San Francisco
• Founded OLATS Paris
• For Scientists deeply engaged in the
arts and humanities
• For Artists Seeking to appropriate
science and technology for cultural
purposes
• Burning Issues of our Times: When
artists and scientists must work
together
– Victoria Vesna, Jim Gimzewski, Blue 8
Morph

9. Leonardo Organisations :
44 years, 6000 authors , MIT Press
Arts & New Technologies………&Sciences…..
Leonardo Book Series, Journals, e-zines
• 1967 – 1995 the central issues were art and technology
• 1995- Art-Science as a burgeoning nexus
• Humanities, Social Sciences, Design “nubs”

10. Evolution of the Leonardo
Knowledge Network over >40 years
cf Leydesdorff and Salah
• Maps on the basis of the
Arts & Humanities Citation
Index: The
journals Leonardo and Art
Journal, and ‘Digital
Humanities’ as a topic,”
•
• (Journal of the American Society for
Information Science and
Technology 61(4) (2010) 787-801

11. Intellectual Community Mapping
• http://www.leydesdorff.net/journals/leonardo/ci
• http://www.leydesdorff.
• Texts cited by
Leonardo Articles • Texts citing
Leonardo Articles

12. Why Now
• Cf Goldberg and Davidsen: Future of Learning
Institutions in the Digital Age
– Computers and Humanities to….Digital Humanities
to….Networked Knowledge
– Citizen Science Movements, Intimate Science
– Transformative nature of on line practice
• Critical Mass of Art-Science Practice
– Innovation/Creativity industries
– NRC Mitchell report « Beyond Productivity »
– Art-Science vs Art-Technology
– …… Beyond Creativity ? The economic/environmental
crises are foregrounding
• Societal Urgency: Art-Science as a Hard Humanity
« Translational » Humanities cf Translational Medecine

13. Is Science in Trouble ?
• 1945 « Science the Endless
Frontier » report, Vannevar
Bush
• "New frontiers of the mind
are before us,
• and if they are pioneered
with the same vision,
boldness, and drive with
which we have waged
this war
• we can create a fuller and
more fruitful employment
and a fuller and more fruitful
life."--
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
November 17, 1944.

14. Common Science does not Make Common
Sense ?
• 2012: Alan Leshner, President of
• . the American Association for the
Advancement of Science:
• « The link between science and
the rest of society is a little
fragile these days »….
• « ..must engage with the public on
the issues and seek common
ground »
• - Encroaching on values
• - Integrity of the scientific
enterprise
• - Need for ‘public engagement » in
the setting of priorities

15. Towards « socially robust science « ?
• Helga Nowotny,
President European • .
Research Council:
• « ..Society is moving into
a position where it is
increasingly able to
communicate its wishes,
desires and fears to
Science »
• Harold Vasselin artist in
residence at the Provence Climate
Change Observatory

16. The Basic Linear Model of Research
Innovation circa 1970
1
Basic Research Applied Patent Commercial
Research Licensing Development
Patent Services
This “works” just often enough to say “it works”
1
The “triple helix” of academy/governt/industry
But what about the Arts and Humanities in all of this ?
Coupling to Culture and Society ?

17. « Beyond the Triple Helix of
Innovation Theory »
cf Gerald Barnett : 3rd Gen Innovation Theory
• Innovation theory traditionally
seeks to cross link:
– Universities, Corporations, Government
–
• Missing Strands
– Cultural Imaginary drivers
• Artists and designers as Inventors and
Researchers
– Social Innovation
– Philanthropy 2.0
– New Locii of Innovation
– Non Profit , Non Governmental Sector
• Temporary Autonomous Zones
• Learning Institutions in Digital Age

18. G1 NPO
Local
G2
National
Internat R1
R2
ATEC ? IP
R4
R3
NGO C4
NPO
C1
C2 C3

19. L’IMéRA : Institut MÉditerranéen
de Recherches Avancées
• The Human Condition of the
Sciences
• International Residency
program for scientists,
engineers, artists, humanities
scholars
• Bridge Physical/Social
Sciences/Arts/Humanities
• Pôle Méditerranée
• Pôle Arts-Sciences-
Instrumentation-Languages

20. IMERA
• 5 year endowment Ministry of
Research/Education
• Network of 4 French Social
Science and Humanities
Institutes of Advanced Study
• Operated by CNRS and Aix Marseille University
• Arts-Sciences-Instrumentation-Language (ASIL)
– Artists in Residence, Scientists in Residence
– Group Residencies, Humanities/Social/Physical Science
– 5 month, 10 month and 3 month/year for 3 years
• Overcoming asymmetries of discourse and
practice

21. An artist working with
astronomers working
with ecologists
• Climate Change
Observatory
• Observatoire de Haute
Provence
• Monitoring of ecological
drift
• Controlled experiment
on reduced rain fall
• H Vasselin:
– Artist in Residence
– IR and Motion Detectors

22. IMERA resident: artist Rachel Mayeri
• « Cinéma for Primates », ..retirement home for primates…
• Work with Primatology and Neurobiology labs,
• Work with President University Ethics Committee
• Human/non human cognition
• Understanding Animal models for medical research
• Now has Wellcome Trust Funding through ArtsCatalyst UK

23. Ciro Cattuto and team (Turin)
• Modeling complex
network phenomena in
systems that entangle
technological and social
factors
• Hospitals, Schools..
• Mixed team of scientists,
designer , multi media
artist
• Social to Physical
Sciences
• Show their work both in
art and in science venues

24. Jim Gimzewski: “interfacial
intelligence”
• Nano Scientist, DARPA
Physical Intelligence Project
• Rethinking intelligence
without relying on the
brain or computer as
models
• Pierre Alain Hubert
• Fireworks Artist
• Nano Fireworks
Exploding Molecules

25. Bruno Giorgini (Physicist)
Maria Theresa Sartori (Artist)
• Physics of the City
– Statistical Modelling
• Modeling transportation
and human mobility
• Venise, Rome…
• “Atlas of Agoras the
Marseille”
• Artist and Scientist
jointly collecting data
• Visualisation and
Sonication of data

26. Marseille 2013 Hiking Trail Project
• From Arles to Toulon to Marseille
to Aix (300 km)
• 10 day hike
• Urban, Industrial, Forests,
Agricultural, Coastal
• Making the varied ecologies
sensual
– Location specific Art Science projects
• Climate Change
Environmental and Social Change
• Peter Richards (invisible
dynamics/sense of place)
• Bryan Connell Exploratorium
• Keiko Courdy: sonification of
underwater movements

27. Scot Gresham Lancaster
• IMERA resident 2011
• Sonification Artist
• Member HUB group
• Sonifying Plasma data
• Sonifying Terrains
• Big Data flows
– Astronomical data

28. Rethinking Art-Science as a
Translation Problem
• Art and Science are epistemologically differing
terrains (Science is not Art)
– “Sensory” Independent vs “Sensory” Dependent
• Can Translation Studies provide some
ideas for hard problems in “Art-Science
collaboration” ?
– Translation between Media (Re-Mediation)
– Inter-Lingual, Cultural Translation
– Inter-Disciplinary Translation
• Systems of Representation, Borders/Frontiers/Networks
• Metaphors, Analogies, Models, Methods, Tools

29. Methodologies/Road Blocks
LACK OF PLATFORMS FOR SUSTAINED
ART SCIENCE RESIDENCIES
Proliferation of art-science labs and platforms
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION >
ENABLE SCIENCE AGENCY STUDIES
NSF Workshops
Space Agencies have commission several studies
Leonardo Rockefeller Report
Need for “Beyond Productivity 2”
PROFESSIONAL INTERFACES>
ACTIVATING PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
ITACCUS (Astronatics Federation)
Leonardo DASER with US National Academy of
Science

30. US NSF, NSF-NEA Art-Science Workshops
Articulating the Science Case for Art- Science
Creativity, Innovation, Invention arguments
Cultural Appropriation of Science
cf Helga Nowotny, "Socially Robust Science"
President European Research Council
STEM to STEAM (@ Rhode Island School of Design)
Arts and Culture as attractors for STEM careers
Founding of NSEAD: Network for Science, Engineering, Arts
and Design ( Carol Lafayette, Texas A and M PI)
XSEAD Platform for art-science documentation &
dissemination ( PI T Rikakis, Univ Arizona)

31. International Astronautical Federation
ITACCUS Committee
IAF Technical Activities Committee for the Cultural
Utilisation of Space
Chaired Roger Malina and Nicola Triscott (Arts Catalyst )
Facilitate Use of Space Systems, Data, Technologies
Committee of cultural professionals, space professionals
Space and the Arts Sessions at International Astronautical
Congress since 1987
eg Republic of the Moon Exhibit at FACT, Liverpool, 2012

32. Emerging« Types » of Art-Science
Practice
• Type I: Mutual Influence, Dual Outputs
– Teams
– Dual Career Scientist-Artists. Engineer-Artists
• Type II: Artistic Creativity as a domain for
Scientific Inquiry
• Type III: Culturally transformative
technological developments
Artists as Inventors, Entrepreneurs
• Type IV: Cultural Appropriation
• Type V: converting STEM to STEAM

33. The Scientific Method as a Territory for Artistic
Experimentation:
Data and Models as Sources
• Forming intuition on mediated sensory data
• Sonification, Cross Modal transfers
• Designing/Interacting with simulated systems
• Making sense of dense data, petabyte era
• Making Science Intimate
• Peoples Science
• Micro Science
• New Ontologies, New Intuitions,New Sensuality
• Can Art-Science practice lead to new scientific practices ?

34. Sonification of soil core samples
• Scientific and Sonic
Perceptions of Environmental
Change in the African Sahel
• W. Paul Adderley and Michael
Young
• Pollens, Dust, Soil,
Chemistry….artefacts..
• Climate and Human Presence
over 10,000 years

35. The values question:
Ethos of Scientific Curiosity
cf Bunge 2006, Morton
• Intellectual Honesty
• Integrity
• Epistemic Communism
• Organized skepticism
• Dis-interestedness
• Impersonality
• Universality

36. Towards an Ethics of Curiosity
cf Sundar Sarukkai: Science and the Ethics of Curiosity 2009
• Curiosity is embodied
• Curiosity is enacted
• Curiosity is cultural
• Curiosity is social
• Curiosity is collective
• The claimed distinction between “pure” and “applied” science
is not sustainable
• In some cultures, eg some Indian traditions, doubt rather
than curiosity is a dominant driver ( cf Descartes)
• “Beware of binary oppositions” !
• An example of Leshner’s Values Conflict

37. Hard Humanities ?
Translational Humanities ?
• Anthropogenic impact driving
global change on time scale
commensurate with
generations.
• RaPID Global economic
restructuring
• Culture has always in the
past adapted after the fact
to changing conditions
– Winners and losers
Is Culture is now a design
problem ?

38. The University of Texas at Dallas
Arts & Technology
38

39. • ATEC resides in the chaotic space
between Arts, Science and Technology, a ATEC
space where art, science, technology,
business, and society merge and
opportunity is found.
•
• In School of Arts and Humanities
• A and H has no departmental
structures
• Curriculum cross registration with
Computer Science and Engineering
• My Art-Science appointment seeks to
cross link with Natural Sciences and
Mathematics
• BA in Arts and Technology (ATEC), BA in
Emerging Media and Communication
• MA and MFA in ATEC, MA in EMAC,
Ph.D. in ATEC
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40. • The fastest growing program at UTD
in the past five years. U. T. Dallas
.
0 to 900 majors in six years with a
target for 2,000 majors.
Arts & Technology
•Cluster Hire of 9 positions
.
•3 Endowed Chairs
• Visualisation/Simulation/
• Animation/Gaming
•6 Faculty
•Emerging Media, New Media Arts,
•Gaming, Animation,
•History/Phil Technology
• The program receives major gifts
from major donors and graduates
• Gates Foundation, US Army,
Commercial customers,
• Technology driven educational 40
40
processes (Blended Learning)

41. • Experimental Publishing and Curating Initiative:
 Emerging Media and Communication Faculty
 Transverse issues between Arts
Humanities/Science and Engineering
 Testbedding, Trans-disciplinary documentation
and dissemination
 Collaborative filtering, peer review experiments
 Leonardo Initiatives with MIT Press
– XSEAD project ( NSF, Univ Arizona PI)
– Augmented/Dynamic ebooks/Blended Learning
 Innovative cultural and public engagement
– Dallas Museum of Art, Nature and Science Museum,
Hospitals initiative
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42. • Leonardo Day 2012 June 19 2012
• Arts, Humanities, Complex Networks
• @ Network Science Conference NETSCI
• http://artshumanities.netsci2012.net/
• 2012 Northwestern DEADLINE MARCH
• 2010 Boston, 2011 Budapest, 2013
Copenhangen
• Trans-disciplinary issues: data structures as
networks, big data, data
representation/visualisation/sonification
• MIT Press/Leonardo Augmented e-book
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