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I attended the Cosmological Elements showcase event on Friday, April 21st via Zoom. The Cosmological Elements project explores the power of art to inspire and connect people to the beauty and wonder of the universe. By creating art that captures the essence of the cosmos, the artists were able to create a sense of awe for the natural world and the mysteries of the universe (Statement - Cosmological Elements). The first exhibition that caught my eye was one by Professor Victoria Vesna titled "Alien Stardust". Visitors can interact with the exhibition through touch and movement, which activates the "cosmic tree" displayed in the exhibition and evokes the cosmic origins of life. The installation includes 7 different meteorites, one for each continent. "Alien Stardust" is the epitome of using art to evoke curiosity and wonder about a scientific field -- it uses a combination of art, technology, and outer space knowledge to inspire visitors to contemplate the i...

Just as with math, I have struggled for a while to understand how medicine and anatomy could play a role in art -- and vice versa.  Henry Gray, who published his book Gray's Anatomy in 1858, significantly improved my understanding of this intersection. Gray's Anatomy, a textbook on human anatomy, was illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter and in doing so helped to make complex anatomical concepts accessible to a wider audience, including medical students and professionals (Vesna) -- an example of how art is used to spread deeper information about scientific concepts.  Gray's Anatomy , 1858 Representing the human body in accurately in art has also led to advances in both anatomical and artistic knowledge. Leonardo DaVinci had a fascination with the external and internal workings of the body, observing and dissecting cadavers as models for his art. His ability to accurately capture the human form in his artwork was rooted in his understanding of anatomy, and his ana...

Robotics, computing, and artificial intelligence have played a large role in the modernization of art and have generated arguments around what really constitutes art and creativity. In Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Production”, he argues that the reproduction of art through mechanical means (such as photography and film) fundamentally alters the true uniqueness, meaning, and authenticity of the original work of art, especially by allowing it to be mass-produced or easily accessible as a result of industrialization.                                      Benjamin’s essay, having been published in 1936, conveys an argument that has proven to stay relevant especially in today’s age of rapid technological advancement. Today we can see many Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs appearing, already being used to generate art, music, and other creat...