WEBVTT 00:07.510 --> 00:08.190 Hello. 00:08.950 --> 00:10.650 Good evening. 00:11.090 --> 00:14.110 I'm so glad to see everybody here. Thank you all 00:14.110 --> 00:18.310 for coming. I really appreciate it. Since their 00:18.310 --> 00:21.990 inception, libraries have been connecting people to 00:21.990 --> 00:26.350 information and scholarship. While we typically think 00:26.350 --> 00:30.150 that work, that this work happens through books, 00:30.350 --> 00:33.410 libraries continue this mission in a variety 00:33.410 --> 00:36.990 of ways. We connect people to information 00:36.990 --> 00:40.830 and scholarship through technological tools, 00:40.970 --> 00:42.490 academic journals, 00:42.690 --> 00:45.550 digital media, and art, which 00:45.550 --> 00:47.230 is why we are here today. 00:47.770 --> 00:51.310 My name is Leslie Sharp and I am Dean of Libraries 00:51.310 --> 00:54.310 here at Georgia Tech. So welcome to the space 00:54.310 --> 00:59.450 and I'd like to also welcome you to the opening 00:59.450 --> 01:03.270 of the Georgia Tech's third artist and residents, 01:03.270 --> 01:07.310 Dr. Boyana Ginn's opening of Orchid Dreams. 01:07.400 --> 01:09.310 Y'all are in for a treat. 01:09.350 --> 01:10.990 Thank you. 01:14.850 --> 01:19.210 I also have the pleasure and honor to welcome 01:19.210 --> 01:23.050 you to the official opening of the library's 01:23.050 --> 01:28.730 interactive media zone, known as the IMZ. The 01:28.730 --> 01:32.370 IMZ will allow faculty and visiting experts to 01:32.370 --> 01:36.430 hold short-form, impromptu lessons while utilizing 01:36.430 --> 01:40.490 the IMZ's unique interactive capabilities. 01:40.490 --> 01:42.870 It will operate as a large-scale 01:42.870 --> 01:46.010 digital sign, promoting both library and 01:46.010 --> 01:49.290 campus events, university research, 01:49.510 --> 01:53.250 student life, and Georgia Tech stories. 01:53.710 --> 01:57.310 Finally, it will serve as a digital exhibit 01:57.310 --> 02:00.510 to feature animations and live data, 02:00.630 --> 02:03.630 like you'll see tonight with Orchid Dreams. 02:03.650 --> 02:06.450 This allows users to interact for a 02:06.450 --> 02:09.410 fully immersive digital experience. 02:10.130 --> 02:14.190 Thank you to our team that made the IMZ possible. 02:14.190 --> 02:16.950 Lindsay Cottingham for the construction. 02:16.950 --> 02:20.430 Stuart Rahm and Hunter Spence for the configuration. 02:20.630 --> 02:22.950 Jeff Wyatt from Dream Lab. 02:22.950 --> 02:26.790 for production and the library's own 02:26.790 --> 02:30.610 jason wright for content creation thank 02:30.610 --> 02:32.740 you to our you want to thank them yeah 02:36.770 --> 02:40.230 thank you to our library's project team 02:40.230 --> 02:44.230 who brought the imz to life kim sheldon 02:44.230 --> 02:47.850 served as the project manager, Jason Wright, 02:47.990 --> 02:49.450 Kimela Nguyen, 02:49.690 --> 02:53.270 Quincy Thomas, Liz Holdsworth, 02:55.530 --> 02:58.650 Charlie Bennett, and we got more, Michael 02:58.650 --> 03:02.110 Patton, and Gregory Oliver, all from 03:02.110 --> 03:04.170 the library, helped bring it to life. 03:09.730 --> 03:11.870 And tonight, we'll have library 03:11.870 --> 03:13.810 media artist in residence, 03:13.870 --> 03:17.190 Dr. Boyana Ginn, in conversation with our 03:17.190 --> 03:20.450 residency manager and librarian, Catherine Mancy. 03:20.450 --> 03:23.350 Following this conversation we'll all convene 03:23.350 --> 03:26.810 downstairs by the exhibition for reception. 03:26.810 --> 03:29.210 I hope that all of you will join us and I hope 03:29.210 --> 03:31.910 we pick up some students along the way too. It'll 03:31.910 --> 03:34.370 give you an opportunity to see Orchid Dreams. 03:35.250 --> 03:39.030 But before I introduce Dr. Ginn, I would like to 03:39.030 --> 03:42.690 thank the Price Gilbert Jr. Memorial Fund for 03:42.690 --> 03:46.810 providing support for the residency the interdisciplinary 03:46.810 --> 03:51.210 interdisciplinary media arts center for partnering 03:51.210 --> 03:55.130 with us on this residency and all of our amazing 03:55.130 --> 03:57.810 colleague colleagues including katherine mancy 03:57.810 --> 04:01.410 and students who met with and worked with dr ginn 04:01.410 --> 04:06.170 to make this residency a success and to the library's 04:06.170 --> 04:09.610 public programming events and building teams 04:09.610 --> 04:15.470 who made tonight possible so thank you all and it 04:20.860 --> 04:25.560 is now my honor and privilege to introduce Dr. 04:25.560 --> 04:30.200 Boyana Ginn award-winning interdisciplinary artist 04:30.200 --> 04:34.640 former medical doctor and scientist Dr. Boyana 04:34.640 --> 04:38.400 Ginn works at the intersection of art science 04:38.400 --> 04:42.380 and technology and I would like to add beauty 04:42.380 --> 04:45.960 because everything that she creates is beautiful. 04:47.070 --> 04:50.360 Gin's journey from medicine to the arts is a 04:50.360 --> 04:55.200 testament to her belief in the healing power of creativity. 04:55.200 --> 04:58.880 Her work transcends traditional boundaries, 04:59.020 --> 05:02.200 advocating for health as a fundamental human right, 05:02.200 --> 05:05.540 and exploring the body and landscape in the context 05:05.540 --> 05:09.640 of digital and biotechnological advancements and climate 05:09.640 --> 05:14.120 change. Currently, Georgia Tech's media media artist 05:14.120 --> 05:17.780 in residence, Ginn is a recipient of the Ellsworth 05:17.780 --> 05:22.540 Kelly Award, granted by the Foundation for Contemporary 05:22.540 --> 05:25.620 Art in New York. She was a finalist for the World 05:25.620 --> 05:29.880 Technology Award in Art, and Ginn also served as a 05:29.880 --> 05:33.460 fellow at the World Technology Network in New York. 05:33.480 --> 05:37.380 Her work has been exhibited at the Venice Architectural 05:37.380 --> 05:41.280 Biennale, the Museum of Art and Design in New York, 05:41.280 --> 05:46.020 the Esperanza Institute of Art and Culture in Barcelona, 05:46.020 --> 05:49.780 the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, the 05:49.780 --> 05:54.760 David J. Sensor CDC Museum in Atlanta, the Cyber Center 05:54.760 --> 05:59.240 in Augusta, Georgia, the interne magazine platform 05:59.240 --> 06:08.080 in Milan, Italy, and New York's Art and science in 06:08.080 --> 06:12.960 America, among many others. As a writer, curator, and 06:12.960 --> 06:16.940 public speaker, Ginn has curated sci-art content and 06:16.940 --> 06:20.700 wrote an art and science column for Burnaway magazine. 06:20.700 --> 06:24.640 Ginn has delivered keynote speeches for BEING's 2015 06:24.640 --> 06:27.980 International Conference of Ethics in Bioengineering 06:27.980 --> 06:32.200 and for international art and mathematic conferences. 06:32.560 --> 06:35.800 Ginn often collaborates with scientific 06:35.800 --> 06:40.590 institutions, most notably her partnership with 06:41.140 --> 06:43.560 the Georgia Institute of Technology Department 06:43.560 --> 06:46.760 of Astrophysics in collaboration with NASA, 06:47.060 --> 06:49.640 Emory University, and now the Georgia Tech 06:49.640 --> 06:53.080 Library. Please join me in welcoming Dr. 06:53.080 --> 06:55.500 Boyana again in conversation with our Public 06:55.500 --> 06:58.500 Programming Librarian, Katherine Mansi. 07:04.140 --> 07:08.960 hi boyana hello um hi everyone i'm catherine 07:08.960 --> 07:11.800 mancy i'm the public programming librarian here 07:11.800 --> 07:14.500 and i have the great honor of running the 07:14.500 --> 07:16.940 artist residency here at the georgia tech library 07:16.940 --> 07:19.800 which i should say is the best job ever because 07:19.800 --> 07:21.960 i get to work with people like boyana Yeah. 07:22.400 --> 07:25.200 So, you know, Boyana, we've been in conversation 07:25.200 --> 07:29.580 for six months now, but I want to kind of look at the 07:29.580 --> 07:32.220 beginning and ask, you know, just about the title 07:32.220 --> 07:35.240 Orchid Dreams. Most artists that we work with, the 07:35.240 --> 07:37.940 title is like the last, one of the last things that 07:37.940 --> 07:41.120 comes together, but you came to us with a title. 07:41.540 --> 07:43.840 So let me ask, Orchid Dreams is 07:43.840 --> 07:45.780 a beautiful and evocative title. 07:45.780 --> 07:48.800 Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind it 07:48.800 --> 07:52.420 and the sculpture and how you conceptualized it? Yes. 07:52.540 --> 07:55.020 Well, first of all, I want to thank you. 07:55.020 --> 07:57.060 And I want to thank Georgia Tech and 07:57.060 --> 08:01.320 everybody who made this residency possible. 08:02.640 --> 08:04.540 We have a little room. 08:04.540 --> 08:06.020 Yeah, let me see if I can turn this 08:06.020 --> 08:08.640 down. Is Brandon here? Our AV person? 08:22.690 --> 08:25.310 Library folks, message Brandon and tell 08:25.310 --> 08:27.570 him we need him to be here. Brandon Hessen. 08:29.010 --> 08:30.930 Maybe it will work. We'll see. 08:30.930 --> 08:31.470 Yeah. 08:34.050 --> 08:34.890 Yeah. 08:36.210 --> 08:37.890 oh that's smart 08:38.800 --> 08:42.410 it might be you it's not me it's you 08:43.050 --> 08:44.690 it's not you it's me 08:54.950 --> 08:56.870 is this good 08:57.510 --> 08:58.510 yeah 09:00.030 --> 09:02.090 it's all good you can hear me 09:02.330 --> 09:03.330 perfect 09:03.810 --> 09:04.810 yeah 09:06.810 --> 09:09.110 it's better good 09:15.110 --> 09:20.290 okay yes so many thanks to everybody for creating this 09:20.290 --> 09:24.170 fantastic opportunity for artists like me it's been 09:24.170 --> 09:28.810 a phenomenal experience and thank you all for coming 09:29.810 --> 09:34.390 so the first question was about the title the orchid 09:34.390 --> 09:39.610 dreams and yes usually for me title comes after i 09:39.610 --> 09:42.950 create work for some artists they kind of have a title 09:42.950 --> 09:46.930 they're more like a text -based and for me as an 09:46.930 --> 09:52.810 artist who um kind of see art as a discovery process title 09:52.810 --> 09:56.500 comes at the end but i created this body of work 09:56.500 --> 10:02.370 um i start creating it more than a year ago so i came 10:02.370 --> 10:07.130 here with a title and everybody actually um wanted 10:07.130 --> 10:11.490 me to work on orchid dreams. And it was a body of art 10:11.490 --> 10:16.630 that started actually as a collection of AI imagery. 10:18.790 --> 10:23.230 I really believe that art is, like what I 10:23.230 --> 10:27.350 create is always what I think about. Like 10:27.350 --> 10:30.150 I don't even have to try. Whatever's in 10:30.150 --> 10:32.990 my head kind of comes out with my hands. 10:33.210 --> 10:37.430 And for more than a decade, I've been thinking about 10:37.430 --> 10:40.790 this connection of body and technology because we 10:40.790 --> 10:44.150 live in the world that's drenched with technology. 10:44.150 --> 10:47.940 And I'm not thinking just about digital technologies, 10:47.940 --> 10:50.750 but also any kind of technology that is used in 10:50.750 --> 10:55.910 creating the products that we use, materiality which we 10:55.910 --> 10:59.850 build the world around us that eventually goes on 10:59.850 --> 11:04.250 the landfills and in the water or the fields and so 11:04.250 --> 11:08.450 on. So all of these questions about what it means to 11:08.450 --> 11:14.610 be alive in this time, technology, global warming, 11:14.910 --> 11:18.470 wellness, wellness of individual, wellness of the 11:18.620 --> 11:22.910 nature around us, I've been really thinking about that. 11:22.910 --> 11:25.850 And I remember there was a moment I was in my porch 11:25.850 --> 11:28.990 and I was sitting and I love sitting there because 11:28.990 --> 11:32.970 there's this foliage all around me and some flowers. 11:32.970 --> 11:36.290 And we have bunny rabbits and, of course, 11:36.290 --> 11:39.550 squirrels and redbirds and bluebirds and 11:39.550 --> 11:43.230 robins and hummingbirds. It's just wonderful. 11:43.230 --> 11:44.710 And, you know, I'm kind of 11:44.710 --> 11:47.650 thinking how to imagine world. 11:48.170 --> 11:52.330 and you know we as humans we kind of took things over 11:52.330 --> 11:56.850 and we always talk about our dreams right like oh 11:56.850 --> 11:59.170 i'm gonna start a business so i'm gonna be this so 11:59.170 --> 12:02.630 i'm gonna do that but what about the dreams of non 12:02.630 --> 12:07.610 -human animals or flowers and it's just this kind of 12:07.610 --> 12:14.010 not text-based but just a visual picture came to me 12:14.010 --> 12:18.310 that was so beautiful and when i say it it doesn't it 12:18.310 --> 12:22.230 seems clumsy but it was just just like a orchid-like 12:22.230 --> 12:26.370 flowers dreaming and just kind of question how would 12:26.370 --> 12:31.910 nature imagine the future um and i got inspired 12:31.910 --> 12:35.870 with that and wanted to create like floral inspired 12:35.870 --> 12:41.130 forms and it kind of started with their orchid dreams 12:44.430 --> 12:45.830 that's amazing 12:46.790 --> 12:50.410 so I want to ask a little bit about your creativity 12:50.410 --> 12:54.150 and also your time here as an artist in residence at 12:54.150 --> 12:57.670 Georgia Tech can you tell us a little bit about some 12:57.670 --> 13:01.470 experiences that you had that maybe were serendipitous 13:01.470 --> 13:03.530 or some connections that you made at Georgia 13:03.530 --> 13:07.170 Tech that really maybe couldn't be made anywhere else 13:09.150 --> 13:13.930 um i'm so happy to be here and i'm actually gonna have 13:13.930 --> 13:17.910 this another floral metaphor i that i was talking 13:17.910 --> 13:21.630 with my one of my best friends the other day and she had 13:21.630 --> 13:25.510 this plant that she couldn't keep alive and she's not 13:25.510 --> 13:29.350 much into plants so she keeps killing them you know 13:29.350 --> 13:32.490 so she puts it there and kind i gave it water whatever 13:32.490 --> 13:36.910 it's just nothing worked and then she she just move 13:36.910 --> 13:40.970 it like a couple of feet to the right and it was 13:40.970 --> 13:43.550 surrounded with different flowers maybe got a little bit 13:43.550 --> 13:48.770 different sun and suddenly this plant just became alive 13:48.770 --> 13:53.190 and grew and gave flowers and we were just talking 13:53.190 --> 13:58.050 what amazing metaphor that is for life right that depends 13:58.050 --> 14:02.210 like where you are who surrounds you you might 14:02.210 --> 14:05.250 surprise yourself what kind of what comes out and so for 14:05.250 --> 14:08.430 me being at Georgia Tech I feel like everybody I meet 14:08.430 --> 14:13.950 is kind of like so familiar because everybody here is 14:14.930 --> 14:17.470 discovering something like working on something 14:17.470 --> 14:21.710 very interesting open to new ideas open toward 14:21.710 --> 14:24.490 art so I had this most amazing conversations 14:24.490 --> 14:26.440 that went in all kind of different directions 14:26.440 --> 14:30.610 And when you say serendipity, so I came here, 14:30.610 --> 14:35.870 and it's a part-time position, but I was like, 14:36.290 --> 14:40.430 Georgia Tech has so many resources, I'm not going to 14:40.430 --> 14:43.750 do part-time, like, this is going to be my extra full 14:43.750 --> 14:48.010 -time, and everything that I can use, I'm going to use. 14:48.010 --> 14:53.050 and so i came in in front of imz and we were talking 14:53.050 --> 14:56.740 okay this is interactive media it would be great to 14:56.740 --> 15:00.830 collaborate with somebody and then super team pie who 15:00.830 --> 15:05.510 is my collaborator super teams in the back yeah hi he's 15:05.510 --> 15:11.190 amazing a wonderful person and uh i i told him well 15:11.190 --> 15:13.430 we're searching for you know students who might be 15:13.430 --> 15:16.970 interested and he said yeah i i want to do it i was like 15:16.970 --> 15:20.090 seriously like you have to really commit no i'm really 15:20.090 --> 15:22.810 serious i want to do it i was like okay good we 15:22.810 --> 15:26.930 didn't even have to ask anybody right he came and then i 15:26.930 --> 15:31.730 one of the projects that i wanted to work on is bio 15:31.730 --> 15:35.530 art uh for you who know me like for more than a decade 15:35.530 --> 15:38.130 i've been working with video projection different 15:38.130 --> 15:42.010 digital technologies but with wool like a sheep's wool as 15:42.010 --> 15:45.310 a you know material that represents the body because 15:45.310 --> 15:48.530 it is a body it's organic it has all of that good 15:48.530 --> 15:53.490 qualities right but I wanted to create something that 15:53.490 --> 15:58.950 it's less gentle and ephemeral but more kind of like a 15:58.950 --> 16:04.710 sculpture that can stand the time that I can keep in my 16:04.710 --> 16:07.610 home because like I did all this installation for 16:07.610 --> 16:10.350 years and then you come to my studio in my home there's 16:10.350 --> 16:13.950 nothing there because they just live you know on 16:13.950 --> 16:20.830 photographs so i i decided i learned about this material 16:20.830 --> 16:25.510 bioplastics and i loved it but it's very expensive and 16:25.510 --> 16:29.490 very hard to get in the sheets and i am still waiting 16:29.490 --> 16:34.150 for it um but in the meantime i discovered this 16:34.150 --> 16:39.230 polyester kind of thermoplastic that at least it's recyclable 16:39.230 --> 16:43.490 and actually i was introduced to my that material 16:43.490 --> 16:48.240 um the architect michael carroll uh so thank you michael 16:48.240 --> 16:53.810 yeah um but then i you know i was reading all these 16:53.810 --> 16:57.950 books and i discovered there are these organisms like 16:57.950 --> 17:03.530 fungi who can biodegrade plastics right and i i was 17:03.530 --> 17:07.970 like i want to try that i want to see how would fungi 17:07.970 --> 17:11.710 work on this material and i was talking on our tour 17:11.710 --> 17:16.450 um at the media lab or material arts one of the maker 17:16.450 --> 17:20.430 spaces yeah and i was just telling the students you 17:20.430 --> 17:23.890 know about that we ordered these mushrooms and everything 17:23.890 --> 17:26.550 and she said oh but there's a student here at the 17:26.550 --> 17:30.490 campus that works with with you know that process i was 17:30.490 --> 17:34.070 like that's amazing can you get us in touch so then 17:34.070 --> 17:38.650 i got in touch with maya um and then she got me connected 17:38.650 --> 17:42.850 with ben collins who's here who helped me um yes 17:42.850 --> 17:46.610 so i was like that's the thing about collaboration at 17:46.610 --> 17:50.530 this point i know that i can i can learn new program 17:50.730 --> 17:55.990 i can learn you know how to grow mushrooms at the 17:55.990 --> 18:01.350 youtube university uh but it's so much better to have 18:01.350 --> 18:04.610 somebody who already been through the process and knows 18:04.610 --> 18:09.910 you know all the things that come that can go this way 18:09.910 --> 18:12.530 or that way and you know and so i was like well this 18:12.530 --> 18:15.890 is fantastic i immediately got a team and then we 18:15.890 --> 18:20.950 start working so i guess you know georgia tech is so 18:20.950 --> 18:25.790 there's so many professionals working here that i think 18:25.790 --> 18:28.990 that people who work at georgia tech don't know about 18:29.410 --> 18:32.890 everything that's going around so for me yeah 18:32.890 --> 18:37.290 that was just perfect so let me ask you this i 18:37.290 --> 18:40.070 mean you collaborated with all of these scholars 18:40.070 --> 18:42.950 do you consider your work orchid dreams to 18:42.950 --> 18:47.670 be a work of scholarship hmm that's a curveball 18:47.670 --> 18:50.330 question for you yeah that wasn't on the list 18:51.960 --> 18:55.930 I'm just curious no no it is it is you know I always 18:55.930 --> 19:02.450 feel like all my art is half academia half intuition 19:02.450 --> 19:08.090 and I love that because I always collaborate 19:08.090 --> 19:12.770 with myself and I've been through a lots of you know 19:12.770 --> 19:17.230 like my even high school my high school diploma is 19:17.230 --> 19:21.830 associate in natural sciences and then you have 19:21.830 --> 19:24.130 the whole medical school so learning you know from 19:24.130 --> 19:27.390 chemistry genetics so there's lots of these wonderful 19:27.390 --> 19:30.750 ideas that are always with me and you can create 19:31.090 --> 19:35.850 you know several lives of work just based on those 19:35.850 --> 19:42.710 concepts so um this work is definitely that absolutely 19:43.180 --> 19:48.870 yeah yeah i think so too i want to talk about the technology 19:48.870 --> 19:52.290 that you used and so you integrate technology and 19:52.290 --> 19:57.150 organic forms how do you go about blending those elements 19:57.150 --> 20:00.350 i mean do you think they kind of are in competition 20:00.350 --> 20:03.130 with one another or do you think they work together 20:04.170 --> 20:06.670 that that's a good one um I 20:06.670 --> 20:09.450 love Catherine because she um 20:10.590 --> 20:14.310 like I loved it uh via off script it's much more 20:14.310 --> 20:18.610 fun um yes because then you know when you have a 20:18.610 --> 20:21.190 script you keep thinking will you remember things but 20:21.190 --> 20:23.900 when it's off script then you just kind of go um 20:23.900 --> 20:28.560 what was the question so blending technology and 20:28.560 --> 20:30.770 organic forms I mean do you think that they work 20:30.770 --> 20:33.930 together are they are they clashing yeah yeah yeah 20:33.930 --> 20:38.450 uh actually they absolutely work together and what 20:38.450 --> 20:41.710 this question remind me of was actually when i was 20:41.710 --> 20:45.150 a student uh something very interesting happened 20:45.150 --> 20:52.710 was that totally without me thinking about it and 20:52.710 --> 20:57.410 working with like um concepts of biology and art, 20:57.790 --> 21:02.990 I got connected with mathematicians who were working 21:02.990 --> 21:07.590 and making conclusions such similar through mathematics. 21:07.590 --> 21:09.570 And I don't know anything about mathematics. Last 21:09.570 --> 21:12.790 time I did math was in a high school and, you know, 21:13.070 --> 21:16.190 it wasn't, I mean, I was good at it, but wasn't, 21:16.190 --> 21:21.650 wasn't passionate about it. So it was clear to me then 21:21.650 --> 21:24.610 that there's no distinction like biological 21:24.610 --> 21:29.850 mathematical or biological artistic or mathematical artistic 21:29.850 --> 21:34.330 it all depends like how deep in a microscope you 21:34.330 --> 21:41.170 go so i find them all being like different 21:41.170 --> 21:46.950 interpretation of the same thing like in you can like freeman 21:46.950 --> 21:50.910 the scientist when he was talking about flower 21:50.910 --> 21:53.950 he says you know like scientists can understand flower 21:53.950 --> 21:57.410 better than artists because they can go into 21:57.410 --> 22:02.590 microcosmos of functions that flower does right and that 22:02.590 --> 22:06.290 is amazing but I kind of disagree because then you 22:06.290 --> 22:09.890 may have a roomie and he can give you a poem about 22:09.890 --> 22:13.330 the flower that that tells something completely 22:13.330 --> 22:17.510 different so this connection of art science and even 22:17.510 --> 22:21.650 spirituality for me is always like just the different 22:21.650 --> 22:26.490 lens that we use to analyze the world around us. 22:27.080 --> 22:29.490 Yeah, I love it. And I think the piece really 22:29.490 --> 22:33.390 brings that lens. It totally transforms the space. 22:34.090 --> 22:36.070 I'll keep us on script a 22:36.070 --> 22:38.550 little bit. Don't. I like this. 22:38.970 --> 22:42.810 So what role does interactive digital media play in 22:42.810 --> 22:45.430 your work? I mean, have you done interactive digital 22:45.430 --> 22:48.570 media before? And what do you hope the audience will get 22:48.570 --> 22:52.890 from that engagement yeah i did one project long time 22:52.890 --> 22:55.330 ago and actually i was collaborating with my husband 22:55.330 --> 23:00.090 brian ginn um who actually taught me technology i 23:00.090 --> 23:05.030 married into a tech genius and i didn't know anything 23:05.030 --> 23:09.170 about tech and i was terrified of technology i mean i 23:09.170 --> 23:12.330 was one of those people kind of like what if i press 23:12.330 --> 23:17.030 this and everything's just gonna fall apart um so so 23:17.030 --> 23:21.450 actually you know living and seeing somebody who works 23:21.450 --> 23:27.110 with tech um it was very inspiring and we created this 23:27.110 --> 23:32.630 piece that was a interactive sound a sculpture and i 23:33.320 --> 23:37.810 i did a little bit of interactivity with the um 23:38.490 --> 23:45.130 how do you call it the oculus yeah yeah we are and 23:45.130 --> 23:51.610 um but this is like another level and for me you 23:51.610 --> 23:57.430 know it's i figured that instead of me constantly 23:57.430 --> 24:01.790 learning new programs and trying to you know venture 24:01.790 --> 24:04.730 into the new technologies i can actually collaborate 24:04.730 --> 24:07.970 with people who already know how to do that and we 24:07.970 --> 24:11.370 can together make something bigger than you know 24:11.370 --> 24:17.360 that only i or only them can create so coming here 24:17.360 --> 24:22.530 meeting super team and making this happen was really 24:22.530 --> 24:28.350 wonderful for this particular project we wanted to 24:28.350 --> 24:32.470 do i wanted to work with biomarkers because body is 24:32.470 --> 24:34.870 so important to me. And I was thinking about these 24:34.870 --> 24:39.150 kind of concepts of health care is a human right. 24:39.290 --> 24:42.590 Because, you know, as activists, we can always vote 24:42.590 --> 24:45.070 or, you know, do different things to actually bring 24:45.070 --> 24:49.530 health care. But as an artist, you can talk about 24:49.530 --> 24:53.470 things, bring, you know, some concepts to the notice 24:53.470 --> 24:57.610 of people. And I always liked museums or galleries 24:57.710 --> 25:01.050 or, you know, like libraries where you can come 25:01.050 --> 25:04.470 for free and experience something that is good for 25:04.470 --> 25:08.730 your body and there's a science behind the art that 25:08.730 --> 25:12.430 says like when you feel the you know sense of wonder 25:13.330 --> 25:17.730 there are hormones hormones of happiness released in 25:17.730 --> 25:20.550 your brain right so i wanted to create something where 25:20.550 --> 25:24.390 people will feel their body where some kind of biomarker 25:24.390 --> 25:28.090 would create certain kind of art and we were talking 25:28.090 --> 25:31.830 like what can we use then actually a heartbeat is the 25:31.830 --> 25:36.750 easiest to um to read so we were like well it's a 25:36.750 --> 25:40.690 beginning let's start with a heartbeat um and that's kind 25:40.690 --> 25:49.710 of how it came about i love it um so tell me say i would 25:49.710 --> 25:52.430 love to hear a little more about the collaborations 25:52.430 --> 25:57.230 or just the interactions with faculty um that you had 25:57.230 --> 26:01.510 and you know kind of what that how that shaped the show 26:01.510 --> 26:04.190 itself which has multiple pieces in it it actually 26:04.190 --> 26:07.770 has three pieces in the show um yeah talk about those 26:07.770 --> 26:11.570 collaborations a little bit more absolutely so the first 26:11.570 --> 26:17.050 the imz was collaboration with super team uh the bio 26:17.050 --> 26:21.210 art was collaboration with maya and with ben and then 26:21.210 --> 26:24.610 i would say the the sculpture was called a collaboration 26:24.610 --> 26:29.130 with montgomery uh machining lab um and with scott 26:29.130 --> 26:35.450 yeah um for you know artist career it can be very lonely 26:35.450 --> 26:39.090 career because like usually you know i get up and then 26:39.090 --> 26:42.970 i go to my studio and i am there by myself all day 26:42.970 --> 26:48.530 long which in some some aspects of that i very much enjoy 26:48.530 --> 26:54.350 but you find yourself a little bit alone you know 26:54.350 --> 27:01.330 and so having a collaborative environment is fantastic i 27:01.330 --> 27:05.250 just felt that i somehow it happened you know the 27:05.250 --> 27:08.090 people were perfect we worked wonderfully together it was 27:08.090 --> 27:11.810 always fun you always felt more energized after 27:11.810 --> 27:16.690 conversation uh you learn more then we connect each other 27:16.690 --> 27:19.730 with other people you have ideas about future connections 27:19.730 --> 27:23.770 and where things can be everything just grows so i'm 27:23.770 --> 27:28.750 very grateful to everybody i worked with and i hope we 27:28.750 --> 27:32.410 kind of get in touch stay in touch yeah i mean this 27:32.410 --> 27:34.770 has been like the hallmark of your residency is these 27:34.770 --> 27:38.570 amazing collaborations and um that's why i wanted to talk 27:38.570 --> 27:40.790 about it a little bit today you'll experience the 27:40.790 --> 27:44.290 pieces but you don't always kind of see the back end of 27:44.290 --> 27:46.830 what's happening and all these amazing relationships 27:46.830 --> 27:50.430 and um you're so great at facilitating that it's been 27:50.430 --> 27:54.370 such an exciting adventure um and i've learned so much it 27:54.370 --> 27:57.210 was one but working with you by the way katherine is 27:57.210 --> 28:01.210 most amazing person and i'm i am jealous of georgia 28:01.210 --> 28:04.630 tech like you know because i think every artist just 28:04.630 --> 28:09.930 dreams having somebody like you she's super organized she's 28:09.930 --> 28:13.310 extremely smart she can find everything about anything 28:13.310 --> 28:18.150 connect the dots um connect the people everybody's 28:18.150 --> 28:21.190 so comfortable in your presence you know sometimes 28:21.190 --> 28:25.810 artists can be awkward so sometimes i i don't you know i'm 28:25.810 --> 28:28.370 like happy having people around but sometimes i don't 28:28.370 --> 28:30.870 want anybody to ask me anything because i'm in the 28:30.870 --> 28:36.630 zone but like you are always oh and also we had the 28:37.080 --> 28:41.890 conversation with Arthur I. Miller that was I think a lovely 28:41.890 --> 28:46.250 collaboration with a wonderful writer and for you for 28:46.250 --> 28:49.190 anybody who didn't see the conference I would recommend 28:49.190 --> 28:53.190 some of his books well specifically Colliding Worlds 28:53.190 --> 28:56.570 which is a book about connection in art and science 28:56.570 --> 29:00.700 kind of historically and presently it's incredible book 29:00.700 --> 29:04.050 and his name is easy to remember it's like arthur 29:04.050 --> 29:08.570 miller but arthur i miller um so it was wonderful to have 29:08.570 --> 29:13.370 him come and talk about techno future and um yeah it 29:13.370 --> 29:17.990 was very thought stimulating absolutely and as a librarian 29:17.990 --> 29:20.790 i love working with an artist that says let's bring 29:20.790 --> 29:23.910 in an author i'm reading all these amazing books you 29:23.910 --> 29:28.190 know let's let's continue this conversation um and if 29:28.190 --> 29:31.470 you haven't seen any of arthur i miller's lectures 29:31.470 --> 29:34.830 they're a bit they're a bit scandalous to many people 29:34.830 --> 29:37.390 because he's talking about the future so it was a really 29:37.390 --> 29:41.570 exciting event after really he i think he thinks us 29:41.570 --> 29:48.670 merging with with machines and elongating human life to 29:48.820 --> 29:54.330 not just a couple of years but a lot and uh i know my 29:54.330 --> 29:57.830 husband too he always wanted to have a computer he is a 29:57.830 --> 30:02.470 half a computer but that's why i i'm sorry i love you 30:04.570 --> 30:08.250 that was awkward but no there's something about 30:08.710 --> 30:12.930 technology and tech people that attract me but i i am 30:12.930 --> 30:17.950 definitely more like nature biology i think biology 30:17.950 --> 30:20.870 will save biology i believe in synthetic biology i 30:20.870 --> 30:26.850 believe in um biomimicking using that for um betterment 30:26.850 --> 30:31.730 of our world and world around us um we'll talk 30:31.730 --> 30:34.250 about i mean i think that's really interesting from 30:34.250 --> 30:36.610 the beginning you've always said to me you know 30:36.610 --> 30:40.310 i'm terrified of the technology but behind the scenes 30:40.310 --> 30:42.530 she's actually very good at it so don't let her 30:42.530 --> 30:45.620 convince you um that she doesn't know very much she's 30:45.620 --> 30:48.490 great right we live in 21st century so you can 30:48.490 --> 30:52.590 either be a you know hermit and say i don't like this 30:52.590 --> 30:57.310 and grow your vegetables which is awesome um or you 30:57.310 --> 31:00.690 can kind of say well i have to confront this thing 31:01.430 --> 31:05.190 and it's very hard in the beginning but kind of after 31:05.190 --> 31:09.310 several projects i'm like oh i can actually do this 31:09.310 --> 31:16.830 and actually do this better than most people wow I'll 31:16.830 --> 31:20.470 say I will say most people um but I'm interested in 31:20.470 --> 31:23.210 that you know the kind of the intellectual response 31:23.210 --> 31:27.230 that people have to technology as something good or 31:27.230 --> 31:32.570 something that's really scary um what do you hope that 31:32.570 --> 31:35.990 people respond to in your piece that both has this 31:35.990 --> 31:40.150 physical element of the sculpture the you know very 31:40.150 --> 31:43.130 naturalistic element of the mushrooms but then the digital 31:43.130 --> 31:46.310 element what emotional response are you hoping that 31:46.310 --> 31:51.090 people will get from experiencing your work well um 31:51.610 --> 31:57.990 to say this first like i i always include body in my 31:57.990 --> 32:02.610 work in some ways even when i create i often refer to 32:02.610 --> 32:06.270 my work as digital like part physical part digital 32:06.270 --> 32:10.090 because i don't want to like let's say this piece is 32:10.090 --> 32:14.330 digitally cut it's digitally imagined so it was imagined 32:14.330 --> 32:20.370 with me using ai and people think that it's easy 32:20.370 --> 32:25.390 to make stuff in ai it is easy if you want to copy 32:25.390 --> 32:29.290 somebody right and if you're drawing from database that 32:29.290 --> 32:32.430 already exists you can create most amazing images 32:32.430 --> 32:35.870 but if you actually want to create something that is 32:35.870 --> 32:41.230 new like has some element on newness i mean it's hard 32:41.230 --> 32:43.390 to create something completely original because we 32:43.390 --> 32:46.650 are all connected and we are not islands but if you 32:46.650 --> 32:50.530 want to create kind of something that looks like you 32:50.530 --> 32:54.670 like oh this is so and so work right then it gets a 32:54.670 --> 32:56.910 little tough because you really have to think about 32:56.910 --> 33:03.340 prompts and you have to experiment and learn and so after 33:03.340 --> 33:06.670 thousands of images that I made there were maybe 33:07.040 --> 33:10.150 between 20 and 30 that I really liked and it thought 33:10.150 --> 33:14.870 reflect me as an artist and I picked those so it started 33:14.870 --> 33:21.050 with AI and then design in Adobe and then it was 33:21.050 --> 33:26.750 digitally cut uh at Montgomery lab but then I wanted to 33:26.750 --> 33:31.190 mold it myself because I have to use my hand I I feel 33:31.190 --> 33:35.070 the happiest when I'm using you know my hand when 33:35.070 --> 33:39.650 I walk to my studio we are humans that's how we you 33:39.650 --> 33:43.930 know evolved and I I don't think it's healthy to just 33:44.990 --> 33:50.010 be you know just you know on the computer or whatever 33:50.030 --> 33:53.330 some people do it i admire them but i could never 33:53.330 --> 33:55.950 do it i just have to move you just have to kind 33:55.950 --> 33:58.750 of have that physical aspect so there's a physical 33:58.750 --> 34:01.370 aspect of our body something that's happening on the 34:01.370 --> 34:04.390 inside becomes divisible right and there's a 34:04.390 --> 34:08.470 connection between drawing and art and your body and your 34:08.470 --> 34:12.090 heart i think heart is also you know there's 34:12.090 --> 34:16.570 something very romantic about thinking of a heart um 34:16.570 --> 34:21.250 and then like this piece uh some people say oh it 34:21.250 --> 34:25.290 reminds me of lungs or some people say of corals to me 34:25.290 --> 34:28.250 it reminds me of capillaries when they come together 34:28.250 --> 34:34.290 it has a floral kind of shape um so it has that 34:35.030 --> 34:36.590 microbiological or 34:37.290 --> 34:39.830 macrobiological together with some kind of 34:39.830 --> 34:42.970 futuristic technology in it. I think it kind 34:42.970 --> 34:45.210 of blends it together, but not in a didactic 34:45.210 --> 34:48.770 way. And then we have biology of fungi 34:49.270 --> 34:53.190 who are so smart and so wonderful and so close to 34:53.190 --> 34:56.210 us, you know, evolutionary, which is kind of amazing, 34:56.310 --> 35:00.330 that can present a new solution for 35:00.330 --> 35:03.990 plastic waste, which is such a big problem. 35:03.990 --> 35:09.770 um so yeah it's always like tech bio tech bio 35:09.770 --> 35:14.610 biomimicry parametric design stuff like that 35:15.210 --> 35:18.490 yeah what do you think how do you expect 35:18.490 --> 35:21.870 viewers to interact with the piece can 35:21.870 --> 35:25.050 they touch it and they touch what can they 35:25.170 --> 35:28.990 i decided not to put do not touch i mean 35:30.370 --> 35:36.070 i i don't invite people to touch it but if they have 35:36.070 --> 35:41.810 to you know there's no punishment um so yeah that's 35:41.810 --> 35:44.930 fine when it comes to you know people usually ask 35:44.930 --> 35:50.950 that question how do you expect i as an artist i create 35:50.950 --> 35:56.450 art and then i experience it and if i approve it if 35:56.450 --> 36:00.690 i like what i experience that's it and once when you 36:00.690 --> 36:05.310 put art there you kind of don't have a control i 36:05.310 --> 36:08.130 think if you really want to control how people react 36:08.130 --> 36:12.130 that's more like a in the realm of design but good 36:12.130 --> 36:16.010 point yeah but with art art is subjective you know 36:16.010 --> 36:19.630 sometimes lots of people like it sometimes just several 36:19.630 --> 36:22.690 people like it it's kind of a little emotionally scary 36:22.690 --> 36:28.110 but so i don't know i hoped i hope they like it 36:28.110 --> 36:31.850 yeah i don't know i think so and i will note you can 36:31.850 --> 36:36.290 touch the sensor yeah that as people walk up there's 36:36.290 --> 36:39.970 a sensor that will react to your heartbeat there's 36:40.690 --> 36:45.710 instruction there yeah um i'm gonna ask you one last 36:45.710 --> 36:49.710 question which is how do you see your experience at 36:49.710 --> 36:53.210 georgia tech informing your future projects or artistic 36:53.210 --> 36:59.350 explorations i think um definitely it's going to 36:59.350 --> 37:03.250 influence i like for me every time i do a project i 37:03.250 --> 37:06.830 come with something that i learned on my previous work 37:06.840 --> 37:10.470 and then i go to something that kind of tickles my 37:10.790 --> 37:11.750 curiosity 37:12.070 --> 37:15.750 and it's so much been done I have to digest it, so 37:15.750 --> 37:18.970 many connections are made, so many ways to go this, 37:19.150 --> 37:22.450 you know, we can go more academic ways and 37:22.450 --> 37:25.130 publish and write about it and contact other 37:25.130 --> 37:28.740 universities maybe continue the collaboration 37:28.740 --> 37:31.450 maybe include some other people with collaboration 37:31.450 --> 37:34.670 definitely for my, you know, personal 37:35.630 --> 37:40.450 studio there are things that I can do now that I didn't 37:40.450 --> 37:46.070 know how to go about, so I got lots of answers. So, 37:46.190 --> 37:48.630 yeah, in multiple levels, 37:48.930 --> 37:50.630 it's going to be very useful. 37:50.810 --> 37:53.470 Well, thank you for being here also at Georgia 37:53.470 --> 37:55.890 Tech. So this is a two-way relationship. 37:56.150 --> 37:58.570 You know, not only did Georgia Tech have 37:58.570 --> 38:01.890 something to offer, Dr. Ginn, but you have offered 38:01.890 --> 38:05.210 us so much, and I'm excited to see all of 38:05.210 --> 38:07.630 the students and staff and faculty experience 38:07.630 --> 38:09.910 this work, as well as all of us tonight. 38:10.170 --> 38:12.270 So you've heard us talking about it for a 38:12.270 --> 38:15.510 while, but I think we should go see the piece. 38:16.110 --> 38:18.510 Before we do, is Jason Freeman here? 38:18.770 --> 38:21.730 I'm going to let our Associate Vice Provost for the 38:21.730 --> 38:24.130 Arts, Jason Freeman, make a quick announcement, and then 38:24.130 --> 38:26.810 we'll head downstairs for the reception. Hi, Jason. 38:33.240 --> 38:36.080 Thanks so much for an excellent discussion. I'm 38:36.080 --> 38:38.240 really looking forward to seeing the work downstairs. 38:38.620 --> 38:41.840 Just a few quick things. If you are a student, and 38:41.840 --> 38:44.340 I know I saw a few of you here, be aware that we 38:44.340 --> 38:47.120 have a small grant program that is launching later 38:47.120 --> 38:50.880 this week, where you can get support for doing your 38:50.880 --> 38:53.340 own artistic work on your own or with a registered 38:53.340 --> 38:55.440 student organization. So keep your eyes out for 38:55.440 --> 38:59.720 that detail. If you are faculty or staff, we have 38:59.720 --> 39:02.560 a couple of our art salon series coming up soon, 39:02.560 --> 39:05.700 one on November 6th at the First Center in conjunction 39:05.700 --> 39:08.040 with the launch of the new faculty and staff 39:08.040 --> 39:10.920 art exhibit in the first in our lobby called Artum. 39:12.040 --> 39:14.220 And then another with the Institute for People 39:14.220 --> 39:16.440 and Technology on November 14th. If you're not 39:16.440 --> 39:19.600 already on our faculty and staff arts chat on 39:19.600 --> 39:21.760 Teams, let me know. I'm happy to add you at any 39:21.760 --> 39:24.640 time. And if the majority of you probably don't fit 39:24.640 --> 39:27.540 in either of those buckets, the ask I have of 39:27.540 --> 39:29.980 you is to engage with the arts at Georgia Tech. 39:30.160 --> 39:32.880 Often it's kind of lurking beneath the surface. It 39:32.880 --> 39:34.780 takes a little bit of work to find what's happening 39:34.780 --> 39:36.960 here, but there is such incredible stuff happening. 39:36.960 --> 39:38.860 There's a wonderful exhibit right now at the 39:38.860 --> 39:41.000 Museum of Papermaking. The First Center for the 39:41.000 --> 39:43.880 Performing Arts is reopening in about two weeks 39:43.880 --> 39:46.980 after a closure for a repair to the roof and 39:46.980 --> 39:49.340 it has a wonderful season of programming ahead. 39:49.400 --> 39:51.720 And there's all kinds of other stuff waiting for 39:51.720 --> 39:54.000 you, even in this building or public art around 39:54.000 --> 39:56.980 campus. So please ask us if you need help 39:56.980 --> 39:59.300 finding your way and you can always go to arts 39:59.300 --> 40:02.560 .gatech.edu to learn more about what's going on. 40:02.560 --> 40:04.690 Thanks a lot. I'll pass it back to Catherine. So 40:09.920 --> 40:12.140 a quick note about directions. I've got a 40:12.140 --> 40:14.030 few colleagues that will help guide us 40:14.030 --> 40:15.920 downstairs. My colleagues, can y'all kind of 40:15.920 --> 40:19.120 wave at us? We've got Kim, Alex, Dean Sharp. 40:19.340 --> 40:21.880 We're going to go down one floor to the ground floor. 40:21.880 --> 40:24.660 If you come out of these doors and take a left, there's 40:24.660 --> 40:27.720 stairs there. You can also take a right and go 40:27.720 --> 40:30.620 around. There's more stairs. But if you need the elevator, 40:30.620 --> 40:32.860 please go out of these doors, take a right, and 40:32.860 --> 40:35.260 then take another immediate right, and that will take 40:35.260 --> 40:38.420 you to the elevator to take you down one floor. we've 40:38.420 --> 40:42.260 got refreshments and we'll have Dr. Ginn and then a 40:42.260 --> 40:44.840 few of our folks that helped collaborate on these 40:44.840 --> 40:47.800 projects downstairs to talk with you. Thanks for coming.