Week 8 - NanoTech + Art

This week we discussed the development of nanotechnology and the influence that it has had upon both art and science. Nanotechnology involves manipulation of matter that is not visible to the naked eye. For this reason, art has developed in a way that it utilizes new techniques to allow the viewer to connect with the tiny matter.

Nano-Scape

An example of this is the Nano-Scape by Christa Sommelier and Laurent Mignonneau. Rather than creating something that appeals to visual senses, this interface attempts to make the nano-world accessible through touch. This project uses magnetic forces to allow individuals to feel the nano-particles. I find it amazing that art has adapted in a way to accommodate tactile senses where actual perception is not possible.

Boo Chapple's Transjuicer

Another example of art adapting in new ways can be seen in Boo Chapple's "Transjuicer." This time, however, it allows the viewer to interact with the nano-world through sound. The project attempts to create vibrations within a bone in order to create audible sounds. As nanotech develops, we have learned that there are many phenomena that occur outside of human capacity. The Transjuicer and Nano-Scape are but two of the ways that art attempts to bring us into contact with this other world.

Artist Representation of Molecules

Art has also served a large role in the development of nanotechnology. Since nanotech operates on such a minuscule scale, it takes an extremely powerful microscope for scientists to see the actual particles. Seeing that most individuals do not have access to this kind of technology, art has helped in a way that it depicts exactly what particles look like at this level. Since even the smallest of changes greatly alter the particles, artists must have great precision in order to accurately portray them.






Image Links:

- http://images.fastcompany.com/upload/boochapple_trans5-1-.jpg

 - http://www.interface.ufg.ac.at/christa-laurent/WORKS/IMAGES/NANOSCAPE_PICTURES/NanoScape6.jpg

 - http://physics.aps.org/assets/74749604-a0b5-4153-8401-d3c72b4051d4/e19_1.jpg

Works Cited:

 ⁃ Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2016.

 - Lovgren, Steven. "Can Art Make Nanotechnology Easier to Understand?" National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 23 Dec. 2003. Web. 19 May 2016.

 - "Seeing at the Nanoscale." Nano. Nanotechnolgy 101, n.d. Web. 20 May 2016.

 ⁃ Sommerer, Christa, and Laurent Mignonneau. “Nano-Scape: An Invisible Interactive Structure.” NanoScape. N.p., 2002. Web. 18 May 2016.

 ⁃ “Visceral: Interview with Boo Chapple.” Sciencegallery.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2016.