Event 2: From Forces to Forms 3

I recently attended the event that was the third and last in its series, From Forces to Forms 3. This installation was presented by the Pratt Manhattan Gallery and was centered around healing nature (“Pratt Manhattan Gallery”). Each exhibit presented at this virtual event explored the healing power of nature and the interconnectedness of the natural and material world.



Screenshot of the confirmation email


Ursula Endlicher was the first to speak about her Input Field Forms and HTML Plant Tags. She discussed the process of turning code into nature and linking the virtual and the real together (Endlicher). In this exhibit, the material and digital worlds were feeding off of one another and feeding the visitors as a result, leading to edible HTML as shown below. This was drawn further to raise awareness and educate visitors on the effects weather and climate change play on plant growth.



Screenshot of Ursula Endlicher’s HTML Plant Tags


Maria Gonzalez, a professor at the San Francisco Art Institute, then spoke about her piece, “Bark Framed,” and the ways she was able to uncover the sound each tree produces (“Maria Elena Gonzalez”). By creating pianos out of tree bark, a variety of tones and pitches were brought to life, each wooden piano having a completely different personality and sound.



Screenshot of a piece from Maria Gonzalez’s “Bark Framed” Exhibit


Finally, Victoria Vesna explained her exhibit titled “Noise Aquarium” and the methods she used to create such a magnificent and interactive piece. From the animation unused from movies to the ways participants create their own experiences, the Noise Aquarium made a statement about the nature of underwater noise pollution and the role organisms as small as plankton play in the underwater ecosystem (Vesna). Each onlooker experiences a different aquarium from the next.



Screenshot of a piece from Victoria Vesna’s “Noise Aquarium” Exhibit


I thought this event and exhibition were beautifully created and incredibly relevant to the natural forces and unnatural disasters affecting our planet and ecosystems right now. I would highly recommend this event to anyone interested in the healing power of nature and the way art informs its observers!


References:

Endlicher, Ursula. “Input Field Form.” Ursula Endlicher, 2017, http://www.ursenal.net/inputfieldform/.

“Maria Elena González.” San Francisco Art Institute, https://sfai.edu/bios/maria-elena-gonzalez.

“Pratt Manhattan Gallery.” Pratt Institute | Department of Exhibitions, https://www.pratt.edu/the-institute/exhibitions/pratt-manhattan-gallery/.

Vesna, Victoria. “Noise Aquarium.” Victoria Vesna | Projects, 2016, https://victoriavesna.com/index.php?p=projects&item=2.

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