RTNews Mailing List: Dennis Rosen Memorial Trust Newsletter: April 2007

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The Dennis Rosen Memorial Trust Newsletter: April 2007

Welcome to the Dennis Rosen Memorial Trust Newsletter, which features  
news of the work of the Trust, and news on science-art interactions in  
the UK and internationally, including events, publications, grant  
schemes and other initiatives that are within the remit of the Trust.

There's a bumper crop of news this month, including publications, jobs,  
and several events. We welcome contributions and feedback for the next  
issue, which will be sent in May 2007. Please complete the form at
http://www.rosentrust.org.uk/news_contribute.html or email  
editor [at] rosentrust.org.uk.


Events: London, UK: The Sound of Materials, 13 April 2007, 18:30

What makes sounds sound and why materials matter. We will be  
performing  demonstrations and discussing the art and science of the  
sound of materials. We will consider why buildings sound the way they  
do, why musical instruments are made from particular materials  and  
what sound reveals that light does not. Following the talk, drinks will  
be served and you will have the opportunity to play the instruments,  
encounter the materials and interrogate the demonstration  
equipment. The Sound of Materials is timed to coincide with the launch  
of What Can The Matter Be? – our new audio accompaniment to Tate  
Modern. Intended as an experience for the curious and those interested  
in the stuff of art, What Can The Matter Be? will be freely  
available to download from iTunes or the Tate website from the 13th of  
April 2007. 
Tate Modern, Starr Auditorium, London, fee
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/talksdiscussions/ ;


Events: New York, USA: Biology and Art: Two Worlds or One? 14 April 2007

This conference will explore the nature of the science-art interface,  
the inspiration this interface provides to scientists and artists  
alike, and the
impact of these interactions on art, research, and other human  
endeavors. More specifically, the conference will focus on how  
biological
objects-whether viruses, animals, plants, cells, or organelles-become  
an inspiration for certain artists' work, and how scientists-ever so  
particular about accuracy and specificity-respond to such artistic  
representations. The Belgian conceptual artist Wim Delvoye, creator of  
the Cloaca Project, will give the keynote lecture. The rest of the day  
will be organized as a series of four conversations between artists and  
scientists. For each conversation, an artist will appear with a  
scientist who works with the biological objects that inspire that  
artist. Short talks and extensive discussions will provide a forum  
where ideas generated in these two very different spheres of creative  
endeavors-science and art-are expressed, elaborated and deliberated.
New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich  
Street, New York, USA, $65, discounts for members and students
http://www.nyas.org/events/eventDetail.asp?eventID=8884&date=4/14/ 
2007%208:00:00%20AM


Events: London, UK: 3-D Drawing - Modelling and Projection, 17 April  
2007, 18:00
                       
An LKL Maths-Art seminar by Gary Woodley. Slade School of Art,  
University College London. When using the concepts of geometry as a  
source to make three-dimensional art works certain adjustments have to  
be made to one’s thought processes. The postulates of geometry are of  
surfaces without thickness and volumes without substance. They are  
immaterial. In attempting to translate this information into physical  
objects, situations or environments, then any surface must have a  
thickness and therefore a volume, and any closed surface must have a  
volume or a wall thickness. The paradoxes that can occur through this  
translation are of particular interest for me, forming an initial point  
of departure, rather than a frustration.
London Knowledge Lab, 23-29 Emerald St, London, WC1N 3QS, Free
Indication of attendance to lkl.maths.art [at] gmail.com appreciated for  
planning purposes
http://www.lkl.ac.uk/maths-art


Events: Online and Radio: Things in Heaven and Earth, Resonance 104.4  
FM, 23 April 2007, 18:30

Resonance FM’s show about contemporary art, science and space -  
presented by Nick Spall with guest Nicola Triscott, Director of Arts  
Catalyst, discussing "Contemporary art/science and the Universe".
Listen on http://www.resonancefm.com


Events: Manchester, UK: Tuesday Talk: Rob La Frenais, 24 April 2007,  
11:00

Rob La Frenais is curator of The Arts Catalyst, the UK's art-science  
agency founded in 1992. He has curated major installations,  
performance, and technology and art/science commissions both in museums  
and public places since 1987. With Arts Catalyst he curated Atomic, a  
controversial show about art and nuclear materials, and Gravity Zero,  
an ongoing collaboration between dancer Kitsou Dubois, the European  
Space Agency.
Visual Arts Education, Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford Street, Manchester, £2
http://www.lecturelist.org/content/view_lecture/4185?mail=y


Events: Toronto, Canada: Visualization in Scientific Practice, 27 - 27  
April 2007

This event will gather together an international group of humanists,  
social scientists and cognitive scientists to synthesize research  
investigating the varied meanings of representation in science within a  
scholarly, cross-disciplinary setting. While many disciplines,
such as art history, cognitive neuro-psychology, semiotics, philosophy,  
history and sociology of science have developed approaches that
challenge the common understanding of scientific representation as an  
appendage to textual theories, we do not yet have a satisfactory theory  
of representation that bridges these disciplinary silos. Current  
research has unanimously answered the question “Are Pictures Necessary  
for Science?" in the affirmative, yet theories of how knowledge is  
coded in representation, and how and why scientists pursue pictorial  
knowledge, remain fragmented. This event is organized on the conviction  
that an interdisciplinary approach to the issue of representation in  
scientific practice can contribute greatly to the generation of a  
unified understanding of representation.
University of Toronto (Victoria College), Free
Registration to muna.salloum [at] utoronto.ca


Events: Dublin, Ireland: Mathematics and Music - Tiling Space with  
Musical Canons. 5 and 7 May 2007

Most people believe that music and mathematics have little in common.  
Whilst one seems the fabric of dreams, the other is the skeleton of
abstract reasoning. That both are in fact tightly linked will be shown   
in a SEED SALON (May 7th) and a WORKSHOP (May 5th) by French composer  
Georges Bloch and Italian mathematician Moreno Andreatta, who are based  
at the interdisciplinary centre for music, IRCAM, in Paris. Using the  
rich examples of musical tiling canons, which tile the musical space in  
much the same way as the famous geometrical
structures do in M. C. Escher's intriguing drawings, they demonstrate  
how much of music can be penetrated and/or inspired by mathematics -
and vice versa, how musical questions lead to interesting challenges  
and answers in mathematics. Both events finish with a multi-media
improvisation, which combines sound and video, jazz and contemporary  
music.
Salon: 7 May, 19:00; Workshop 5 May 2007, 10.30-15.00
Odessa club, 14 Dame Court, D2, Dublin
http://www.seed.ie
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~wiebke/SEED/MathsMusicEvents.htm


Events: London, UK: Science & the Public Conference, 19 May 2007

This academic conference aims to bring together the strands of academia  
that consider science as it intersects with non-scientific cultures.  
Sessions include: Images of Science in Popular Literature, Case Studies  
in Science & Politics, Artists and Science, Cinema, Public  
Participation, Texts and ideologies, Expertise in Popular Science.  
Using Museums
Imperial College London, £25 (£15 for students/ unwaged)
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/sciencecommunicationgroup/ 
researchconference


Events: London, UK: Plastics - Looking at the Future & Learning from  
the Past, 23-25 May 2007

A three day conference for  
engineers/scientists/srtists/designers/museum professionals covering  
the various issues raised by the instability of plastic materials in  
collections. The discipline of Conservation straddles both arts and  
sciences and is an excellent meeting point for people from both worlds.  
We hope that strong links will be established between science  
departments in universities (chemistry, materials science), fine arts  
departments and with independent artists. From these links we hope that  
artists may learn more about the properties of materials they use and  
scientists may learn more about the theory and practice of art.
Victoria & Albert Museum, London. £195, £145 students
http://www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/courses/conferences/


Events: Las Vegas, USA: The Magic of Consciousness, 24 June 2007, 17.30

Five of the world's premier stage magicians will share their deep  
intuitions and insights into the covert manipulation of attention and  
awareness: Teller, of Penn & Teller, Mac King, headliner at Harrah's on  
The Strip, James Randi, Johnny Thompson, from The Great Tomsoni and Co,  
Apollo Robbins, Professional Thief and Pickpocket. Just as visual  
scientists study visual art and illusions to elucidate the
workings of the visual system, so too can cognitive scientists study  
artists of cognitive illusions to elucidate the underpinnings of  
cognition. Stage magic shows are the manifestation of the deep  
intuition and understanding of human attention and awareness held by  
the accomplished magical performer. By studying magicians, and learning  
their techniques, researchers can hope to learn the skills necessary to  
manipulate attention and awareness in the lab, at a quantitative level.  
In this spirit, each of these performers will describe an aspect of  
magical technique that serves as a powerful tool to manipulate  
attention and/or awareness, either on a large scale (to a large  
audience) or a small scale (such as a card trick, or other close-up  
manipulation). They will demonstrate an example application of each  
technique, and then discuss why/how they believe the technique may  
work, in terms of human cognition. Held as part of the Association for  
the Scientific Study of Consciousness (ASSC) conference,
Imperial Palace Hotel, Las Vegas
http://assc2007.neuralcorrelate.com


Publications: Biotechnology on display, The Scientist, March 2007

A gallery-turned-laboratory fuses art and science. Who knew bacteria  
could draw? But here I stand, staring at a series of black-and-blue  
line drawings of a rooster, rabbit, and spiraling helix of DNA, all by  
the bioluminescent bacteria Photobacterium phosphoreum. The drawings  
are part of It's Alive! A Laboratory of Biotech Art, a new exhibit at  
the gallery at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts.
http://www.the-scientist.com/news/home/52933/



Publications: Call for Papers: Leonardo Transactions

Leonardo Transactions is a new section in the printed and on-line 
journal Leonardo that publishes fully refereed papers in a fast track 
to disseminating key new results, ideas and developments in practice. 
Leonardo is an international journal for artists and others interested 
in work that crosses the artificial boundaries separating contemporary 
arts and sciences. The journal is particularly concerned with issues 
related to the interaction of the arts, sciences and technology. It is 
published by MIT Press. Papers are solicited matching the stated aims 
and scope of Leonardo, but are restricted to two pages of published 
material.
No restriction is paced on topics that fit within the scope of 
Leonardo, but from time to time, we encourage papers with specific
concerns. The first call is for contributions that address one of the 
following two areas:-
The impact of the interactive arts on audience experience.
New art practice that also advances science or technology.
http://www.leonardo-transactions.com/


Publications: Alternating Currents DVD

Alternating Currents was a 2006 NESTA funded performance about the life 
of Nikola Tesla held in the National Museum of Wales in Swansea. The 
organizers took on the challenge: how can a large group of actors and 
theatre professionals work with science communicators, teachers and 
museum staff to create a large piece of theater that takes over an 
entire museum? This interactive DVD includes clips of the performance 
as well as interviews with the cast and crew reflecting on working in 
unexpected partnerships, engagement with electricity and history, and 
what visitors do when they suddenly find themselves in the middle of a 
moving performance.
DVD’s are available FREE by emailing name and post address to Savita 
Custead at Savita [at] actorsworkshop.co.uk. Limited copies available.


Job: London, UK: Administrator. Arts Catalyst, pt, deadline 16 April 
2007

The Arts Catalyst is a commissioning arts organisation, based in London 
with a national and international programme.  The Arts Catalyst is 
known for its commissions and exhibitions exploring science and 
technology as transforming forces in culture and society and its 
pioneering education programme. The Arts Catalyst is based at Toynbee 
Studios, Aldgate, London E1. We seek an individual to join our small 
team who is highly organised, flexible, has initiative and works well 
under pressure. We are looking for someone with very good computer 
skills and IT knowledge, communicates well with the public and has a 
genuine interest in contemporary art.
Part-time 20 hours per week. Salary: £ 10-12000 per annum (£20-24k per 
annum pro rata) depending on experience
To apply, download a job description and application form from:
http://www.artscatalyst.org/general/application.html


Funding: Reminder: Arts Awards, Wellcome Trust, closing dates 
throughout 2007

The Arts Awards support projects that engage the public with biomedical 
science through the arts. The scheme aims to stimulate interest, 
excitement and debate about biomedical science through the arts; 
examine the social, cultural, and ethical impact of biomedical science; 
support formal and informal learning; encourage new ways of thinking; 
encourage high quality interdisciplinary practice and collaborative 
partnerships in arts, science and/or education practice. All art forms 
are covered by the programme: dance, drama, performance arts, visual 
arts, music, film, craft, photography, creative writing or digital 
media. We invite applications for projects which engage adult audiences 
and/or young people. Projects should have some biomedical scientific 
input either through a scientist taking on an advisory role or through 
direct collaboration. Applicants are encouraged to investigate new 
methods of interdisciplinary working as well as new models of 
engagement in biomedical science. Applicants and activities must be in 
the UK or the Republic of Ireland and the activity must take place in 
the UK or Republic of Ireland. For small to medium sized projects (up 
to and including £30 000) there will be four deadlines in 2007: 16 
March, 13 July, 28 September and 15 November. For large projects (over 
£30 000) the deadline is 27 April 2007.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/node2580.html


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The Dennis Rosen Memorial Trust is a charity, registered in England and 
Wales, number 1081592. Donations to the Dennis Rosen Memorial Trust 
help maintain and expand its programme of activities. Visit 
http://www.rosentrust.org.uk/donate.html for details.