Laura Ponce, Event 2 Blog Post, DEMSA9

     Attending "Rhizosphere: The Big Network of Small Worlds" was a transformative experience that

deepened my understanding of the intersection between art, science, and education. This project, a

collaboration between the University of Arts in Poznań (UAP) and the Adam Mickiewicz University

(UAM), explores plant social networks and their cultural implications. Through interdisciplinary

workshops, lectures, and artworks, the event was an appreciation for the symbiosis, diversity, and

interdependence present in both natural and human ecosystems.

The Rhizosphere project shows how combining different disciplines can turn into innovative solutions and different perspectives. In the tour of the exhibition, we were shown how artists and scientists collaborate to explore the Wood Wide Web and provided examples of how different approaches can enhance research and creativity, similar themes I have gone over in my blogs, like Jenna Sutela’s “Wet-on-Wet” exhibit (Sutela, n.d.).  The concept of the Wood Wide Web is that plants communicate and share resources, which mirrors human social interactions. It highlights the importance of cooperation and mutual support. The event's artworks and lectures stimulated both cognitive and creative thinking. For example, one installation depicted the complex root systems of plants and visually represented their communication networks. This creative portrayal of scientific concepts reinforces the idea that art can be a powerful medium for scientific exploration, an idea we discussed in Week 6. The insights gained from CHIC and Rhizosphere will inform my course project on how biotechnology influences art. I plan to explore how scientific discoveries, like the DNA double helix, have inspired new artistic paradigms. This connection, as highlighted by Levy (n.d.), shows how biotechnology shapes our perceptions of life and identity.


Inspired by the Rhizosphere project, I plan to incorporate a variety of different elements into the final project. By combining scientific research with artistic expression, I aim to create projects that are not only informative but also engaging and visually compelling, just like what was mentioned about Joe Davis in Professor Vesna’s lecture (Davis’ use of jazz music on E.coli) (Vesna, n.d.). I highly recommend attending the Rhizosphere event to all my classmates. The Rhizosphere event was more than just an exhibition; it was an experience that broadened my understanding of collaboration and its applications in both science and art. 


Citations

  1. Levy, E. K. (n.d.). Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications. 

  2. Vesna, V. (2013, September 18). 5 bioart pt1 1280x720. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg&t=396s 

  3. Sutela, J., (n.d.). Wet-on-wet. Survivance - Jenna Sutela et al. https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/survivance/390869/wet-on-wet/ 

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