Emma Tavella - DESMA 9

I have always been fascinated by space, and the more I think about what is out there and how small we are, the more I am intrigued and fearful to learn more. Therefore, I was beyond excited when this week's topic was space.  Professor Vensa explained that space is where everything we have learned in this class comes together. For example, nanotechnology, mathematics, art, and robots are used in space. I was explicitly interested in space exploration and its transition into the private domain when watching the lecture.  Space is full of precious profitable materials, making many companies interested in exploring and utilizing these resources. They can do this through robotics, art, nanotechnology, mathematics, etc. For example, a private company called Planetary Resources is applying "commercial innovation to robotic space exploration." This company aims to develop a robotic space mining industry and mine asteroids. Asteroids are highly composed of many profitable metals. ...

This week in the lecture, we discussed the concept of nanotechnology. Before the class, I had no idea what nanotechnology was and was confused when the professor explained that it could shift paradigms and change the world. However, I understand this revolutionary field entirely through Dr, Gimzewskis's lecture series and my experience wearing clothing that employs nanotechnology. It is fascinating that when you make things on a nanoscale, the old methodologies dont work; instead, new phenomenons dominate, producing a whole new ballpark for science, art, and innovation.                                                         Dr. Gimzewski explained that businesses take commercial products and change the size of the particles they put into them to anywhere between 100 to 1 nanometer to create new revolutionary technology...

 This week in the lecture, we discussed the intersection between neuroscience and art, specifically the mind, memory, consciousness, and unconsciousness. As a psychology major, I am very interested in the brain as understanding its intricacies, I can understand my actions and thoughts, and it helps me become a better version of myself.  The topic that drew my attention in this week's materials was the discussion of the boundary between our conscious and unconscious minds. Sigmund Freud, Australian Nueologist, explored the concept and eventually came up with his theory that the mind was first divided into the conscious mind and the unconscious mind and then further divided into the superego and ID. What specifically interested me about his theory was that he believed that "significant psychic events take place below the surface in the "unconscious mind" and that these unconscious events are very symbolic and hold a high significance. Professor explained how the "...

I (virtually) attended the "Color, Light, Motion" event hosted by Victoria Vensa featuring Marissa Caichiolo. Marisa Caichiolo is an artist, curator, and founder of Building Bridges International Art Foundation. During this event, Marissa presented, discussed, and connected a few pieces from the David Bermant Foundation that she chose to curate for her exhibition to her own artwork.  First, I enjoyed listening to why Marisa chose to curate art by artists Julio De Park and Martha Boto from the David Bermant Foundation. Marisa explained that both of these artists were from Argentina and were significant figures in optical and kinetic art. It is evident that their work changed how people created, saw, and interacted with art. Both of these artists worked with industrial materials, allowing their pieces to absorb and reflect lights, colors, and movements in a different way than art has ever done before. Marisa explained that these two artists created a "movement" of con...

This week's lecture on Bio-tech and art was definitely the most interesting topic to me thus far in this class. In the lecture, Professor Vesna stated that BioArt is a massive source of debate. One of the main reasons that Bioart often raises ethical questions and concerns is that it can involve manipulating and exploiting living organisms for artistic purposes. However, I believe that not all Bioteck Art exploits living organisms for artistic purposes but that some projects are informative and beneficial for both art and science.  www.artnews.com/art-news/news/biotechnology-as-art-form-2184/ For example, I love what Kathy High does in her "Embracing Animal Project." For her project, Kathy bought three rats that had been used in previous parasitical studies. These rats had been "microinjected" with human DNA, which made them prone to experiencing issues such as "reactive arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease," etc. Kathy then treated them ...

On Friday, May 28th, 2023, I went to the Hammer Arts Party at the Hammer Museum put on by UCLAs very own Campus Evets Commison Club (CEC). This event was free for all UCLA college students. It featured a live concert of Cruza and BJ the Chicago Kid in the museum square, after-hours gallery access, free insomnia cookies, artistic-led workshops, and temporary tattoos.  When my friend, Jefferson (head of concerts for the CEC), told me about this event, I was ecstatic to attend as I could finally explore such a pivotal Westwood landmark. Jefferson explained that the event's goal was to allow students from the north and south sides of campus to come together and enjoy Hammer Museum's beautiful art and get to know each other better. This event was a massive success, and I succeeded at this goal. I met so many new people from various majors and backgrounds at the event. I learned so much about art, specifically how it can be used to address/make a statement about social and political ...