Event 2 From Forces to Forms. Episode 3

 The second event that I had the opportunity to visit was the third episode of the series From Forces to Forms that was devoted to the topic of Repairing Nature. I was fascinated by the pieces presented at the event and looked at Art and Science from a different angle. 

One of the pieces “Immortality for two” that I loved the most was created by Marta de Menezes, who worked together with her husband, depicting two sources of light (cells) that cannot be together because if they get into contact with each other they develop cancer. I loved the idea of immortality of two separately because the cells constantly reproduce, but solitude. Aside from being a very accurate scientific representation of chemical processes that occur between cells, we can see the soul and feelings that these cells acquire. 

Immortality for Two

Another piece that helped me understand the topic better was “Bark Framed #1, #2” by Maria Elena Gonzalez, who recreated the sound that was imprinted on the bark of the tree. It is an interesting piece that made me fully realize the trees are living breathing things, and technically everything surrounding us is alive, and artists depict that life in their works. This piece reminded me of Leo Tolstoy’s short fiction “THree Deaths” where the author described the tree as a living thing that was the only character that was able to experience a “good” death. It is also interesting that every tree has its own unique voice referring to the network of roots, through which trees communicate with each other. 

Bark Framed

Overall, the event was very informative and inspiring. It helped me to look at nature and create a midterm project that depicted the importance of insects and nature.

 

Ingber, D. E. (1998). Architecture of Life. Scientific American, 48–57. 

Tolstoy, L. (n.d.). Three deaths. Short Stories and Classic Literature. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://americanliterature.com/author/leo-tolstoy/short-story/three-deaths 

Magazine, S. (2018, March 1). Do trees talk to each other? Smithsonian.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/ 

ON VIEW IN BIOSCIENTIFIC IMAGINARIES: MARTA DE MENEZES . ALLEGHENY ART GALLERIES. (n.d.). Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://www.alleghenyartgalleries.com/marta-de-menezes 

Maria Elena González - bark framed #2. Maria Elena González - Bark Framed #2 For Sale at 1stDibs. (n.d.). Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://www.1stdibs.com/art/mixed-media/maria-elena-gonzalez-bark-framed-2/id-a_4565441/?utm_content=condensed&allowUniversalLink=no&gclid=Cj0KCQjwg_iTBhDrARIsAD3Ib5jkhqMOH76aKa5jgf7u_r-oOcAF2aH0lRf73xV9YugxxUeSkLNHWcMaAk0PEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds