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Artist Lindsay Caplan ponders the intersection of humanity and technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

MIT's MIT.nano initiative launches new lecture series titled Resonances. The inaugural talk, entitled "Analogical Engines - Collaborations across Art and Technology in the 1960s," was given by Lindsay Caplan, an assistant professor at Brown University.

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MIT's nano initiative through MIT.nano held the initial lecture in their new series called...
MIT's nano initiative through MIT.nano held the initial lecture in their new series called Resonances. The discussion, entitled "Analogical Engines — Collaborations across Art and Technology in the 1960s," was presented by Lindsay Caplan, an assistant professor at Brown University.

Artist Lindsay Caplan ponders the intersection of humanity and technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

In the exhilarating world where creativity, intellect, and technology intersect, we find Lindsay Caplan, an art historian and a Brown University assistant professor, thriving. Her work delves deep into the ways artists engaged with new technologies, not as simple materials for artwork, but as conceptual platforms for fundamentally reshaping their creative practice.

This intriguing perspective formed the foundation for Caplan's keynote at the inaugural Resonances Lecture Series, a groundbreaking initiative by STUDIO.nano to explore the fertile ground where art, science, and technology blossom together. Held at MIT.nano on April 28, Caplan's lecture, titled "Analogical Engines," traced the responses of 1960s artists across Europe and the Americas to the burgeoning technological advancements in computer science, cybernetics, and early AI.

Caplan narrative took a close look at two artistic networks: New Tendencies exhibitions (1961-79) and the Signals gallery in London (1964-66). She deftly dissects the experimental approach of American artist Liliane Lijn to contemporary technological advancements, particularly the quantum physics and mathematical formalism, notably Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. By arguing that both art historical formalism and mathematical formalism share common struggles with representation, indeterminacy, and the tension between constructed and essential truths, she skillfully connected the dots.

Post her lecture, Caplan engaged in a stimulating panel discussion with MIT faculty members Mark Jarzombek and Gediminas Urbonas. Ardalan SadeghiKivi, a comparative media studies lecturer, served as the moderator. The panel kept the conversation alive with discussions about artists' fascination with newly developed materials and technology, and the critical role of reimagining and repurposing technologies designed for distinct purposes.

Urbonas, a professor of art, culture, and technology at MIT, emphasized the importance of these discussions, stating, "It is exceptionally exciting to witness artists working in dialectical tension with scientists - a tradition that traces back to the founding of the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT and continues at ACT today. The dual ontology of science and art enables us to grasp the world as a web of becoming, where new materials, social imaginaries, and aesthetic values are co-constituted through interdisciplinary inquiry. Such collaborations are urgent today, offering tools to reimagine agency, subjectivity, and the role of culture in shaping the future."

The event concluded with a reception in MIT.nano's East Lobby, offering an unforgettable intersection of art and technology. Tobias Putrih, an ACT lecturer and academic advisor for STUDIO.nano, celebrated the resonance of Caplan's ideas, stating, "She is one of the most exciting thinkers and historians writing about the intersection between art, technology, and science today. We hope her insights and ideas will encourage further collaborative projects."

The Resonances lecture and panel series, a brainchild of STUDIO.nano, aims to bring artists, designers, scientists, engineers, and historians together. These insightful discussions demystify the relationship between scientific discoveries and artistic creation, offering glimpses into the historical context that shaped their symbiosis and hints at the potential futures of their collaboration.

STUDIO.nano is not just a program within MIT.nano, but a catalyst for cultural reflection within cutting-edge research environments. As Samantha Farrell, the STUDIO.nano manager, explains, "It's vital to create space for cultural reflection. STUDIO.nano invites artists to engage directly with new technologies - and with the questions they raise."

In addition to the Resonances lectures, STUDIO.nano organizes exhibitions in MIT.nano public spaces and the Encounters series, launched last fall, to invite artists to MIT.nano. For more information about current installations and collaborations, visit STUDIO.nano's web page. Kudos to Caplan for lighting the spark that ignited the Resonances Lecture Series, a forum that refuses to shy away from the challenges and opportunities of the intersecting worlds of art, science, and technology.

  1. Lindsay Caplan, an art historian at Brown University, delved into the ways artists engaged with new technologies as conceptual platforms, not just as materials for artwork.
  2. The Resonances Lecture Series, a groundbreaking initiative by STUDIO.nano, brings together artists, designers, scientists, engineers, and historians to explore the intersection of art, science, and technology.
  3. Caplan's keynote at the Resonances Lecture Series traced the responses of 1960s artists to technological advancements in computer science, cybernetics, and early AI.
  4. Caplan's narrative focused on two artistic networks: New Tendencies exhibitions and the Signals gallery, and she deftly dissected the experimental approach of American artist Liliane Lijn to contemporary technological advancements.
  5. The panel discussion following Caplan's lecture discussed the critical role of reimagining and repurposing technologies designed for distinct purposes in artistic practice.
  6. Mark Jarzombek, a MIT faculty member, participated in the panel discussion about the intersection of art, science, and technology, emphasizing the importance of artistic collaboration with scientists.
  7. The Resonances lecture and panel series aims to demystify the relationship between scientific discoveries and artistic creation, offering glimpses into the historical context that shaped their symbiosis and hints at the potential futures of their collaboration.
  8. MIT's STUDIO.nano, led by Samantha Farrell, functions as a catalyst for cultural reflection within cutting-edge research environments, inviting artists to engage directly with new technologies and the questions they raise.

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