HUMAN PRACTICE

One hundred years ago, Oscar Wilde’s rose, the one stained with the nightingale’s blood, was thrown into the gutter. But today, by blending art and science, we UCAS-China team picked the rose back again.

In the original story, even 130 years ago, Oscar Wilde had pointed out the public’s misconception and improper attitude of art and science sharply. Even today, science and art, seems to get into more narrow paths. To make difference with our effort, we addressed three major issues about blending science and art and tried to give our answer respectively: (ii) Acceptance and involvement and (iii) Assimilation and changes of society tendency.

(i) Eliminating the bias and exploring the concept

Refining all the wisdom points sparked during interviews with scientists from Chinese Academy of Science and collaborationswith artists from Art and Science Research Center, we explored deeper insight indicating imagination and interaction.

(ii) Acceptance and involvement

How to make more and more people accept the concept? We sought wider platforms from nationwide competition to Internet, in order to make our voice heard by more people outside the lab. A survey we did among high school studentsindicated that the idea has been well-accepted among young generation, but lacking resources and chances to get involvement limited their creation. Hence, we created Orpheus, which is a software could involve everyone in art-and-science practice. Orpheus transforms sounds chosen by users into light signals and simulate the unique roses which our E. coli would create in response. Try to create your own rose!

(iii) Assimilation and changes of society tendency

We pioneered to use story as the carrier of our art-and-science work and capture the emotional sympathy of the public. We tried to establish establish profound influence on society tendency and inspire more significant creations of art-and-science combination in a more creative, imaginative and easy-accessed way.

We believe that harmony fusion of science and art is the pursuit of grand beauty for our society, also the destination of the exploration of human spirit.