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| RESEARCH > Tesla - Art and Science Research Interest Group | AboutTesla is an informal art and science discussion forum dealing with visionary ideas beyond the existing remits of art and science. It aims to form and nurture cross-disciplinary teams, projects, and networks, and to assist with applications for funding. Open equally to researchers at all stages of their careers, Tesla may be a particularly valuable resource and support for young researchers pursuing a cross-disciplinary trajectory. Tesla also welcomes artists (with or without academic affiliation), theorists and curators active in the field of art and science.The interactive artwork Fugue (2005/6) is the first Tesla project, and it reflects one of the possible readings of the Tesla mission statement. It operates within the framework of an artificial immune system algorithm, evolving in real time, and expressing itself through vision and sound. Fugue brings together an artist, a composer, and three computer scientists. MissionThe group is named after the scientist, inventor and visionary Nikola Tesla. Without his discoveries, especially in the field of polyphase alternating current, the modern technology-based world simply would not be possible. However, his distinctive personal philosophy and working methods today seem closer to those of an artist than a scientist. Tesla's inventions include the Tesla coil, fluorescent light, wireless transmission of electrical energy, radio, remote control, the discovery of cosmic radio waves, and the use of the ionosphere for scientific purposes. The international unit of magnetic flux density is named after him, and his alternating current motor is often named as one of the top ten inventions of all time.The convergence of art and science happens mainly in the realms of creativity, vision, and intuition, in all of which Tesla excelled. Both artists and scientists are concerned with understanding the world and our existence within it, although the view of the scientist is essentially collective, being rooted in consensus and the pursuit of objectivity. However, the usual dichotomy between art and science suggests a potential conflict: does combining the two run the risk of introducing some bias antithetical to the very ideas of both art and science? And if so, can this potential conflict be managed satisfactorily and without compromise within the collaborative process? Taken together, these two questions raise a wide range of issues to be explored. The contemporary discipline of art and science has existed for over two decades, and is essentially a continuation of the artistic contributions to science that have happened throughout history, especially in the last century in the fields of optics and perception. The Tesla group aims to explore the potential and synergy of truly cross-disciplinary teams, and we will be looking at what may lie beyond the already established formulae for art and science collaborations. We will be particularly interested in projects that explore the potential for the scientific assessment of works of art, and also in the creation of art works as a valid outcome of scientific investigations. Linkshttp://www.teslasociety.com Tesla Bloghttp://tesla-ucl.blogspot.com/ ContactGordana Novakovichttp://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/people/G.Novakovic.html http://www.fugueart.com |
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| This page last modified: 2 June, 2009 by Graham Knight | |||
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