Art is subject of discussion this week
This week, artists and professors from Carnegie Mellon and beyond will share their expertise with the campus community. Today, Anthony Vidler of Cooper Union will discuss his work. Tomorrow, Carnegie Mellon philosophy professor Richard Scheines will talk about using the computer as a resource in a variety of situations and art professor Golan Levin will discuss the applications of electronic art. Wednesday, the Center for Arts in Society’s Carl DiSalvo will speak about the public’s changing conceptions of the design field.
Subject: Anthony Vidler
The Basics: Anthony Vidler, dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York will discuss his work.
Vidler is a historian and critic of modern and contemporary architecture. He specializes in French architecture from the Enlightenment to the present day. He has received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and is also the author of five books, the most recent of which is Warped Space: Architecture and Anxiety in Modern Culture, (MIT Press, 2000.)
The lecture is part of the School of Architecture Lecture Series.
When: Today at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Giant Eagle Auditorium, Baker Hall A51
Title: “Online Education: Using the Computer Where it Helps”
The Basics: Richard Scheines, head of Carnegie Mellon’s philosophy department and professor of philosophy and machine learning and human-computer interaction, will speak about situations in which the computer is a useful teaching tool and when it is not. Scheines will also discuss the Open Learning Initiative (OLI). Developed by Scheines and his colleagues, the initiative has allowed the team to develop and implement online courses, including one in Causal and Statistical Reasoning involving a virtual lab that has been used by several thousand students at more than 40 institutions.
When: Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Where: Newell-Simon Hall 3305
Subject: Golan Levin
The Basics: Golan Levin, assistant professor of electronic time-based art at Carnegie Mellon, will discuss the ways in which he has used digital technology to call attention to the human-machine relationship and interaction.
Levin is known for his role in the creation of “Dialtones: A Telesymphony” in 2001, which is a concert consisting entirely of the synchronized dialing and ringing of the audience’s cell phones.
In 2000, Levin won an Award of Distinction at the Prix Ars Electronica competition for cyberarts in Austria for his Audiovisual Environment Suite interactive software and the program’s accompanying audiovisual performance, Scribble.
The lecture is part of the School of Art Lecture Series.
When: Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Where: McConomy Auditorium, University Center
Title: “Constructed Publics in Contemporary Design”
The Basics: Carl DiSalvo, a fellow at the Center for the Arts in Society and STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, will attempt to discuss the relationship between design and the public. Specifically, he will attempt to reconcile the changing relationship between the user and the audience by using the work of philosopher John Dewey to explain constructed publics and the role of design in bringing the public together to take action in completing a common goal.
The lecture is sponsored by the Center for Arts in Society.
When: Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Giant Eagle Auditorium, Baker Hall A51