Art in the Age of Nanotechnology.
A Perth International Arts Festival exhibition – 5 February – 30 April 2010
The unique works developed for art in the age of nanotechnology operate at the intersection of art, science and technology, demonstrating innovative examples of contemporary art and scientific collaboration. The exhibition will comprise of a series of collaborative projects designed to challenge, explore and critique our understanding of the material world and will bring together artists and scientists from the around the world to present new ways of seeing, sensing and connecting with matter that’s miniscule and abstract. art in the age of nanotechnology will feature internationally-recognised artists and scientists such as Christa Sommerer (Austria) & Laurent Mignonneau (France); Paul Thomas (Aus) & Kevin Raxworthy (Aus); Mike Philips (UK); Boo Chapple (Aus) and Victoria Vesna (USA) & James Gimzewski (Scotland).
http://johncurtingallery.curtin.edu.au/
A Mote it is…
A Mote it is… (from the ‘art in the age of nano technology catalogue).
“A mote it is to trouble the mind’s eye.” (1)
Words spoken by Horartio to describe Hamlet’s father’s ghost. In this Shakespearian play the ghost is seen but not believed and one is left to wonder if it is just the seeing of it that makes it real – its existence totally dependent on the desire of the viewer to see it. The ‘mote’ or speck of dust in the eye of the mind of the beholder both creates the illusion and convinces us that what we see is real. Something just out of the corner of our minds eye, those little flecks magnified by our desire to see more clearly. Yet the harder we look the more blurred our vision becomes.
A ‘mote’ is both a noun and a verb. Middle English with Indo-European roots, its early Christian origins and Masonic overtones describe the smallest thing possible and empower it with the ability to conjure something into being (so mote it be…). This dual state of becoming and being (even if infinitesimally tiny) render it a powerful talisman in the context of nano technology.
Throughout the last Century we were reintroduced to the idea of an invisible world. The development of sensing technologies allowed us to sense things in the world that we were unaware of (or maybe things we had just forgotten about?). The invisible ‘Hertzian’ landscape was made accessible through instruments that could measure, record and broadcast our fears and desires. Our radios, televisions and mobile phones revealed a parallel world that surrounds us. These instruments endow us with powers that in previous centuries would have been deemed occult or magic.
Our Twenty First Century magic instruments mark a dramatic shift from the hegemony of the eye to a reliance on technologies that do our seeing for us – things so big, small or invisible that it takes a leap of faith to believe they are really there. Our view of the ‘real world’ is increasingly understood through images made of data, things that are measured and felt rather than seen. What we know and what we see is not the same thing – if you see what I mean? The worrying thing is that for a long time we thought the invisible world was made of layers of transparent electromagnetic fields, now through technologies such as the Atomic Force Microscope we are faced with the reality that the ‘invisible’ is actually what constitutes our material world, we can reach out and touch it!
It is our relationship with these technologies that troubles the mind’s eye. Our ability to shift scales, from the smallest thing to the largest thing has been described as the ‘transcalar imaginary’ (2). In this context astronomer Carl Sagan described the Earth as a “mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.” (3) The famous image taken from Voyager 1 in 1990 shows the planet suspended in an infinite Universe. A mote that seems so large to us, but which is in fact so cosmologically small, disturbs our sensibilities and desire for order in our world.
A Mote it is… dev:
A Mote it is… install:
Documents:
Art in the Age of Nanotechnology Catalogue.
Art in the Age of Nanotechnology Flyer/Symposium.
About A Mote it is…:
A Mote it is… is constructed from data captured by an AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) from a ‘mote’ or piece of dust extracted from the artist’s eye. The whirlwind of data projected within the gallery is rendered invisible by the gaze of the viewer. The more we look the more invisible it becomes – look away and it re-emerges from the maelstrom of data. A ghost of the mote can be seen in viewers peripheral vision but never head on. – if you see what I mean?
Notes:
1: Shakespeare, W. Hamlet. Act 1, Scene 1, Line 129.
2: http://www.twine.com/twine/12vx9k6qs-2zp/transcalar-imaginary
3: Sagan, C. 1994,Pale Blue Dot, Random House. p6
Many thanks to:
Lee Nutbean and Justin Roberts at i-DAT.
Professor Genhua Pan and Yuqing Du at the Wolfson Nanotechnology Laboratory at University of Plymouth.
AFM Raw Data:
X (µm) Y (nm) 0 12.116 0.019 12.562 0.039 13.243 0.058 13.009 0.078 13.009 0.097 12.797 0.117 12.586 0.136 12.375 0.156 11.929 0.175 11.929 0.195 11.717 0.214 11.717 0.234 12.163 0.253 11.952 0.273 11.952 0.292 11.741 0.312 11.741 0.331 11.529 0.351 11.295 0.37 11.318 0.39 11.318 0.409 11.764 0.429 11.318 0.448 11.529 0.468 11.318 0.487 11.553 0.507 11.553 0.526 11.764 0.546 11.553 0.565 11.788 0.585 11.999 0.604 11.999 0.624 12.022 0.643 12.68 0.663 13.126 0.682 13.337 0.702 13.126 0.721 13.361 0.74 13.784 0.76 13.807 0.779 14.23 0.799 14.018 0.818 14.253 0.838 14.464 0.857 14.699 0.877 14.699 0.896 14.699 0.916 15.357 0.935 15.592 0.955 15.38 0.974 15.38 0.994 15.592 1.013 16.038 1.033 16.038 1.052 16.484 1.072 16.484 1.091 16.719 1.111 17.376 1.13 17.822 1.15 17.822 1.169 17.611 1.189 17.822 1.208 17.4 1.228 17.4 1.247 17.4 1.267 17.4 1.286 17.846 1.306 17.634 1.325 17.634 1.345 17.869 1.364 17.869 1.384 17.869 1.403 18.081 1.423 18.315 1.442 18.104 1.461 17.658 1.481 17.893 1.5 18.104 1.52 18.104 1.539 18.104 1.559 18.128 1.578 17.893 1.598 18.128 1.617 18.128 1.637 18.128 1.656 18.574 1.676 18.809 1.695 18.574 1.715 18.574 1.734 19.02 1.754 19.255 1.773 19.043 1.793 19.255 1.812 19.489 1.832 19.489 1.851 19.278 1.871 19.278 1.89 19.936 1.91 19.936 1.929 20.17 1.949 20.382 1.968 20.382 1.988 20.828 2.007 21.063 2.027 21.274 2.046 21.274 2.066 21.298 2.085 21.955 2.105 22.824 2.124 23.27 2.143 23.059 2.163 23.293 2.182 23.059 2.202 22.636 2.221 22.847 2.241 22.847 2.26 23.082 2.28 23.082 2.299 23.528 2.319 23.528 2.338 23.763 2.358 24.209 2.377 24.209 2.397 24.209 2.416 24.209 2.436 24.444 2.455 24.444 2.475 24.444 2.494 24.655 2.514 24.444 2.533 24.89 2.553 24.89 2.572 25.125 2.592 25.125 2.611 24.914 2.631 25.125 2.65 25.125 2.67 25.36 2.689 25.148 2.709 25.36 2.728 24.914 2.748 24.702 2.767 24.937 2.787 24.702 2.806 24.937 2.826 24.937 2.845 25.172 2.864 25.172 2.884 24.961 2.903 25.383 2.923 25.407 2.942 26.064 2.962 25.853 2.981 26.51 3.001 26.722 3.02 26.51 3.04 26.745 3.059 26.745 3.079 26.745 3.098 26.98 3.118 27.191 3.137 27.426 3.157 27.637 3.176 28.976 3.196 29.633 3.215 29.187 3.235 29.187 3.254 29.187 3.274 28.765 3.293 28.765 3.313 29.211 3.332 29.211 3.352 29.211 3.371 29.211 3.391 29.657 3.41 29.892 3.43 29.892 3.449 30.103 3.469 30.127 3.488 30.127 3.508 30.127 3.527 30.338 3.547 30.361 3.566 30.361 3.585 30.807 3.605 30.573 3.624 30.573 3.644 31.019 3.663 31.019 3.683 30.807 3.702 31.042 3.722 31.254 3.741 31.042 3.761 31.042 3.78 31.277 3.8 31.277 3.819 31.488 3.839 31.277 3.858 31.066 3.878 31.277 3.897 31.066 3.917 31.066 3.936 31.512 3.956 31.301 3.975 31.301 3.995 31.747 4.014 31.747 4.034 31.982 4.053 31.982 4.073 32.428 4.092 32.216 4.112 32.216 4.131 32.428 4.151 32.428 4.17 32.662 4.19 32.451 4.209 32.662 4.229 32.897 4.248 32.662 4.268 33.109 4.287 33.343 4.306 33.343 4.326 33.555 4.345 33.79 4.365 33.79 4.384 34.024 4.404 34.236 4.423 34.682 4.443 34.682 4.462 34.682 4.482 35.128 4.501 35.128 4.521 35.152 4.54 34.917 4.56 35.363 4.579 35.598 4.599 35.598 4.618 36.044 4.638 36.49 4.657 36.49 4.677 36.044 4.696 36.701 4.716 38.909 4.735 45.976 4.755 58.304 4.774 77.253 4.794 100.594 4.813 125.273 4.833 149.505 4.852 172.635 4.872 194.425 4.891 215.582 4.911 235.189 4.93 253.457 4.95 271.092 4.969 288.045 4.989 304.576 5.008 320.426 5.027 335.642 5.047 350.623 5.066 364.265 5.086 377.274 5.105 389.578 5.125 400.591 5.144 409.42 5.164 415.807 5.183 417.568 5.203 413.6 5.222 404.137 5.242 390.259 5.261 373.564 5.281 360.344 5.3 351.75 5.32 347.148 5.339 345.598 5.359 346.913 5.378 350.881 5.398 356.611 5.417 361.917 5.437 366.754 5.456 370.065 5.476 371.826 5.495 372.484 5.515 373.165 5.534 373.165 5.554 373.376 5.573 373.165 5.593 373.165 5.612 372.507 5.632 371.85 5.651 371.192 5.671 369.431 5.69 367.013 5.71 363.279 5.729 357.338 5.748 349.19 5.768 341.489 5.787 336.205 5.807 332.894 5.826 331.157 5.846 330.711 5.865 331.368 5.885 333.364 5.904 335.994 5.924 339.751 5.943 343.508 5.963 347.688 5.982 352.313 6.002 356.07 6.021 360.039 6.041 364.43 6.06 368.398 6.08 372.155 6.099 375.231 6.119 377.673 6.138 379.646 6.158 380.749 6.177 382.088 6.197 382.534 6.216 383.191 6.236 383.638 6.255 384.506 6.275 384.929 6.294 385.375 6.314 385.375 6.333 385.164 6.353 384.53 6.372 383.661 6.392 384.318 6.411 385.845 6.43 388.052 6.45 390.259 6.469 392.678 6.489 394.674 6.508 396.2 6.528 396.881 6.547 395.566 6.567 393.359 6.586 390.283 6.606 387.629 6.625 384.999 6.645 382.393 6.664 380.186 6.684 377.767 6.703 374.902 6.723 371.592 6.742 367.412 6.762 362.81 6.781 357.738 6.801 353.112 6.82 348.275 6.84 343.649 6.859 339.258 6.879 335.736 6.898 332.213 6.918 328.903 6.937 324.277 6.957 317.232 6.976 309.531 6.996 302.275 7.015 296.099 7.035 290.393 7.054 285.321 7.074 280.484 7.093 275.412 7.113 270.81 7.132 267.288 7.151 266.395 7.171 268.391 7.19 273.017 7.21 279.85 7.229 288.21 7.249 296.146 7.268 303.425 7.288 310.47 7.307 316.434 7.327 322.375 7.346 327.447 7.366 331.861 7.385 335.149 7.405 337.356 7.424 338.459 7.444 339.14 7.463 339.14 7.483 338.906 7.502 338.694 7.522 338.694 7.541 339.14 7.561 339.821 7.58 340.925 7.6 341.794 7.619 342.897 7.639 343.578 7.658 344.682 7.678 345.551 7.697 347.101 7.717 347.993 7.736 348.65 7.756 349.308 7.775 349.754 7.795 349.989 7.814 349.989 7.834 351.092 7.853 351.539 7.872 351.75 7.892 351.985 7.911 351.092 7.931 349.777 7.95 348.909 7.97 347.805 7.989 346.49 8.009 344.964 8.028 344.072 8.048 343.86 8.067 343.203 8.087 342.757 8.106 343.203 8.126 344.095 8.145 345.199 8.165 346.748 8.184 348.298 8.204 350.059 8.223 352.032 8.243 354.474 8.262 356.892 8.282 359.311 8.301 361.964 8.321 364.618 8.34 367.694 8.36 371.873 8.379 378.495 8.399 386.831 8.418 396.764 8.438 408.222 8.457 420.339 8.477 431.352 8.496 441.261 8.516 450.066 8.535 457.557 8.555 464.39 8.574 469.908 8.593 474.98 8.613 479.817 8.632 484.231 8.652 488.857 8.671 493.272 8.691 498.109 8.71 503.181 8.73 508.253 8.749 513.325 8.769 518.162 8.788 523.234 8.808 528.094 8.827 532.72 8.847 536.454 8.866 538.896 8.886 540.211 8.905 540.868 8.925 541.761 8.944 542.418 8.964 543.099 8.983 543.757 9.003 544.203 9.022 544.414 9.042 544.203 9.061 543.991 9.081 543.099 9.1 541.784 9.12 540.023 9.139 538.943 9.159 537.839 9.178 537.182 9.198 537.393 9.217 538.074 9.237 538.943 9.256 540.281 9.276 541.831 9.295 542.935 9.314 544.038 9.334 545.565 9.353 546.668 9.373 547.56 9.392 548.453 9.412 549.11 9.431 549.768 9.451 550.003 9.47 550.449 9.49 550.66 9.509 550.66 9.529 550.449 9.548 550.237 9.568 549.58 9.587 548.711 9.607 547.161 9.626 545.189 9.646 542.324 9.665 538.802 9.685 535.068 9.704 531.1 9.724 526.92 9.743 522.529 9.763 517.457 9.782 513.066 9.802 509.309 9.821 506.445 9.841 504.472 9.86 502.946 9.88 502.946 9.899 503.392 9.919 504.261 9.938 504.707 9.958 504.496 9.977 504.05 9.997 502.312 10.016 500.762 10.035 499.893 10.055 499.236 10.074 498.132 10.094 496.583 10.113 495.056 10.133 491.745 10.152 487.801 10.172 484.701 10.191 481.625 10.211 479.864 10.23 478.784 10.25 477.68 10.269 477.68 10.289 477.68 10.308 478.126 10.328 478.784 10.347 479.23 10.367 480.78 10.386 482.541 10.406 485.405 10.425 488.505 10.445 492.027 10.464 495.549 10.484 499.306 10.503 503.486 10.523 506.586 10.542 508.769 10.562 508.558 10.581 507.032 10.601 503.721 10.62 499.753 10.64 495.808 10.659 491.839 10.679 487.448 10.698 483.034 10.717 479.512 10.737 475.567 10.756 472.256 10.776 469.837 10.795 467.207 10.815 465.212 10.834 463.685 10.854 462.37 10.873 461.055 10.893 459.294 10.912 457.087 10.932 453.353 10.951 449.174 10.971 444.759 10.99 439.922 11.01 435.085 11.029 430.013 11.049 425.387 11.068 420.996 11.088 416.582 11.107 412.848 11.127 409.984 11.146 407.565 11.166 405.593 11.185 404.724 11.205 404.066 11.224 403.174 11.244 402.094 11.263 400.333 11.283 399.018 11.302 397.914 11.322 398.125 11.341 398.125 11.361 397.703 11.38 396.811 11.4 396.388 11.419 395.496 11.438 394.181 11.458 392.866 11.477 390.236 11.497 387.16 11.516 383.215 11.536 378.378 11.555 371.991 11.575 364.289 11.594 356.141 11.614 347.101 11.633 337.638 11.653 327.963 11.672 320.027 11.692 314.086 11.711 309.695 11.731 307.276 11.75 305.938 11.77 305.28 11.789 304.623 11.809 304.646 11.828 304.858 11.848 304.858 11.867 304.646 11.887 303.989 11.906 302.885 11.926 301.124 11.945 298.94 11.965 296.076 11.984 292.765 12.004 290.135 12.023 287.059 12.043 283.748 12.062 279.357 12.082 272.759 12.101 262.85 12.121 249.184 12.14 231.573 12.159 211.308 12.179 188.414 12.198 163.97 12.218 142.391 12.237 125.226 12.257 112.452 12.276 102.966 12.296 96.367 12.315 91.084 12.335 87.35 12.354 85.143 12.374 83.171 12.393 81.644 12.413 80.541 12.432 79.883 12.452 79.226 12.471 78.568 12.491 78.357 12.51 78.122 12.53 77.911 12.549 78.146 12.569 78.146 12.588 78.146 12.608 77.934 12.627 77.934 12.647 77.934 12.666 77.934 12.686 78.592 12.705 78.381 12.725 78.615 12.744 78.827 12.764 78.827 12.783 78.827 12.803 78.85 12.822 79.062 12.842 79.508 12.861 79.508 12.88 79.743 12.9 79.954 12.919 80.189 12.939 80.189 12.958 80.635 12.978 80.635 12.997 80.846 13.017 80.635 13.036 81.081 13.056 81.081 13.075 81.527 13.095 81.527 13.114 81.762 13.134 82.208 13.153 81.973 13.173 81.997 13.192 81.997 13.212 81.762 13.231 81.785 13.251 82.232 13.27 82.443 13.29 82.678 13.309 82.678 13.329 82.678 13.348 82.889 13.368 82.912 13.387 83.57 13.407 84.439 13.426 84.674 13.446 84.674 13.465 84.251 13.485 83.805 13.504 83.359 13.524 83.593 13.543 83.593 13.563 83.147 13.582 82.936 13.601 83.382 13.621 83.382 13.64 83.171 13.66 83.617 13.679 83.617 13.699 83.828 13.718 83.617 13.738 83.617 13.757 83.852 13.777 83.852 13.796 84.298 13.816 84.509 13.835 84.955 13.855 85.19 13.874 85.19 13.894 85.19 13.913 85.425 13.933 85.871 13.952 85.636 13.972 85.636 13.991 86.082 14.011 86.106 14.03 86.529 14.05 86.317 14.069 86.552 14.089 86.317 14.108 86.552 14.128 86.787 14.147 87.444 14.167 87.444 14.186 87.891 14.206 88.102 14.225 87.891 14.245 87.891 14.264 88.125 14.283 88.125 14.303 87.914 14.322 87.914 14.342 88.36 14.361 88.571 14.381 88.571 14.4 89.464 14.42 89.699 14.439 89.464 14.459 89.464 14.478 89.91 14.498 89.933 14.517 89.699 14.537 89.933 14.556 89.487 14.576 89.276 14.595 89.276 14.615 89.511 14.634 89.511 14.654 89.511 14.673 89.722 14.693 89.746 14.712 89.746 14.732 89.746 14.751 90.192 14.771 89.746 14.79 89.534 14.81 89.534 14.829 89.769 14.849 89.769 14.868 89.769 14.888 89.98 14.907 90.215 14.927 90.215 14.946 90.004 14.966 90.215 14.985 90.215 15.004 90.239 15.024 90.45 15.043 90.45 15.063 90.685 15.082 91.131 15.102 91.342 15.121 91.342 15.141 91.342 15.16 92.023 15.18 92.023 15.199 92.235 15.219 92.681 15.238 92.681 15.258 92.704 15.277 92.916 15.297 93.362 15.316 93.596 15.336 93.808 15.355 93.808 15.375 94.043 15.394 94.043 15.414 94.254 15.433 94.489 15.453 94.7 15.472 94.724 15.492 95.146 15.511 95.381 15.531 95.381 15.55 95.616 15.57 95.616 15.589 95.827 15.609 95.827 15.628 96.273 15.648 95.851 15.667 95.616 15.687 95.639 15.706 95.851 15.725 96.085 15.745 95.639 15.764 95.639 15.784 95.874 15.803 95.639 15.823 95.428 15.842 95.663 15.862 95.451 15.881 95.217 15.901 95.451 15.92 95.663 15.94 95.451 15.959 95.451 15.979 95.686 15.998 95.475 16.018 95.475 16.037 95.686 16.057 95.686 16.076 95.686 16.096 95.921 16.115 96.156 16.135 96.579 16.154 96.367 16.174 96.602 16.193 97.048 16.213 97.048 16.232 97.048 16.252 97.494 16.271 97.494 16.291 97.706 16.31 97.494 16.33 98.152 16.349 98.175 16.369 98.621 16.388 99.044 16.408 99.068 16.427 99.279 16.446 99.279 16.466 99.96 16.485 99.725 16.505 99.725 16.524 100.406 16.544 100.406 16.563 100.406 16.583 100.617 16.602 101.064 16.622 101.298 16.641 101.744 16.661 102.191 16.68 101.956 16.7 101.979 16.719 102.191 16.739 102.637 16.758 102.637 16.778 102.425 16.797 102.425 16.817 102.214 16.836 102.003 16.856 102.003 16.875 102.449 16.895 102.214 16.914 102.238 16.934 102.238 16.953 102.238 16.973 102.238 16.992 102.238 17.012 102.238 17.031 102.238 17.051 102.261 17.07 102.472 17.09 102.026 17.109 102.261 17.129 102.05 17.148 102.496 17.167 102.261 17.187 102.496 17.206 102.707 17.226 102.731 17.245 102.731 17.265 102.731 17.284 102.942 17.304 102.966 17.323 102.966 17.343 103.177 17.362 103.177 17.382 103.623 17.401 103.623 17.421 104.069 17.44 104.069 17.46 104.093 17.479 104.515 17.499 104.539 17.518 104.539 17.538 104.75 17.557 105.196 17.577 105.642 17.596 105.877 17.616 106.3 17.635 106.535 17.655 106.535 17.674 106.769 17.694 107.638 17.713 107.216 17.733 107.662 17.752 108.108 17.772 108.319 17.791 108.554 17.811 108.765 17.83 108.765 17.85 109.212 17.869 109 17.888 109.446 17.908 109.446 17.927 109.446 17.947 109.446 17.966 109.446 17.986 109.681 18.005 109.47 18.025 109.47 18.044 109.258 18.064 109.024 18.083 109.258 18.103 109.258 18.122 109.258 18.142 109.258 18.161 109.047 18.181 108.836 18.2 108.836 18.22 108.625 18.239 108.625 18.259 109.071 18.278 108.836 18.298 108.859 18.317 108.625 18.337 108.648 18.356 108.648 18.376 108.648 18.395 108.648 18.415 108.648 18.434 109.094 18.454 108.883 18.473 109.329 18.493 109.329 18.512 109.775 18.532 109.986 18.551 109.775 18.57 109.775 18.59 110.01 18.609 110.01 18.629 110.221 18.648 110.667 18.668 110.667 18.687 110.902 18.707 111.56 18.726 111.794 18.746 111.794 18.765 112.452 18.785 112.687 18.804 112.898 18.824 113.133 18.843 113.344 18.863 113.579 18.882 113.79 18.902 114.025 18.921 114.471 18.941 114.683 18.96 114.917 18.98 114.917 18.999 115.129 19.019 115.364 19.038 115.364 19.058 115.81 19.077 115.81 19.097 115.81 19.116 115.598 19.136 115.598 19.155 115.598 19.175 115.598 19.194 116.279 19.214 116.279 19.233 116.068 19.253 115.833 19.272 116.279 19.291 115.857 19.311 115.622 19.33 115.645 19.35 115.645 19.369 115.411 19.389 115.434 19.408 115.434 19.428 115.434 19.447 115.434 19.467 115.223 19.486 115.223 19.506 115.011 19.525 115.223 19.545 115.669 19.564 115.669 19.584 116.115 19.603 116.35 19.623 116.115 19.642 116.139 19.662 116.139 19.681 116.139 19.701 115.927 19.72 116.35 19.74 116.796 19.759 116.819 19.779 116.819 19.798 117.031 19.818 117.266 19.837 117.712 19.857 117.712 19.876 118.158 19.896 118.158 19.915 118.158 19.935 118.158
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