Event 2: Art Electronica Festival Hybrid Arts and STARTS (Science, Technology, and the Arts)


I am so glad I didn't have class on Wednesday April 26th as I was able to attend this Event. It was so cool that we had the opportunity to get an inside look into the Art Electronica Festival. Vesna couldn't even tell us whether certain projects won or not and it was very hush hush!! It was interesting to get an inside look into some of the thoughts and ideas presented in this wonderful event.

It was interesting to see a video of someone of Jasia Reichardt's caliber share her thoughts. She is interested in art that expands into other branches of culture such as science, music, literature, and more! Through this combination of cultures, she has sought after following up on all the similarities and connections that have formed. She has written multiple books and is well known for curating an exhibition of cybernetic art, Cybernetic Serendipity. This show consisted of many different creations/ideas brought forth by the combination of art and technology. If I could have chosen one project to see, I would have loved to witness Bruce Lacey's radio-controlled robots. I like the ideas of robots and want to explore this idea in my midterm.

Further, another project that interested me was the project about Drones. It is sad to say that drones are becoming a more pressing problem now as it seems they are used more in this day and age. The project presented wants to create a database filled with how all drones sound. This is a very exciting project as it would be amazing if there was a clear-cut way to distinguish the sounds of drones and know the type of drone it is based on sound. This project really showed me the combination of art and science and further showed me the importance of this combination as I believe this has the opportunity to save lives. The picture to the right is a playlist of drone sounds already stored. As I think more and more about project, there is a potential scare that comes to mind and it makes me question the usefulness of this project. The only reason why I question the usefulness of this project is because it may actually lead to an unsafe environment for the world. If it gets out that there is a database filled with all the sounds of drones, people who make drones may try and manipulate the sound to make it sound different. A creator of a bomb-drone may manipulate the sound and make it sound like something as trivial as a drone you can buy from Walmart or something. I think I have watched too many crime shows and I am prepping for worst-case scenario, but you just never know! If there was a way to keep this project so only a few people know, that would be the best. I think it may be too late for this project as it seems that a lot of people are going to know about it.


This event relates back to my study of psychology and political science in many ways. Psychology can be seen in the Cybernetic Serendipity exhibition with the use of robots and techonology with art. There is a basic need for understanding psychology when combining these cultures as it is the basis of human interaction and behavior. Further, I took World Politics fall quarter last year for my Political Science major and can see how drones have and will affect the world. The more events I attend and the more I learn about art and technology, the more I am seeing how it relates to my studies and how it is really a part of our everyday life. I mean, that drone playlist can be found on Soundcloud! I use soundcloud every day and never thought once it could be used for educational reasons! You learn something new every day!

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