HUMAN PRACTICE

OVERVIEW

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 collaborations with 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 profound influence on society tendency and inspire more significant creations of art-and-science combination in a more creative, imaginative and easy-accessed way.

SILVER-OVERVIEW

From primary school to summer camp for high school students from all over China, from future biological explorers to students majoring chemistry, physics or even mathematics and computer science, we devoted to education and shared ideas to spark new curiosity of synthetic biology.

From bacterial painting activity to the chances for everyone to create their unique rose, from online game iGEMer diary to videos about introduction of our gene circuit with domino game and guidance of molecular experiments, we sought more creative and efficient ways to share interest of science also establish dialogues with the public.

From “3 Minutes for Science” competition to National Science Day, from interviews with scientists from Chinese Academic of Science to collaboration with artists from Art and Science Research Center, we devoted to making our voice heard by more people outside the lab.

Collaboration

We focused on the current collaboration and communication like many iGEM teams. While we did further work concerning sustainability of iGEM teams and succession for iGEMers of next generation, which made us outstanding.

Interview

From talks with art-major students to survey aiming at science-major students, from interviews with scientists from Chinese Academic of Science to collaboration with artists from Art and Science Research Center, we devoted to making our voice heard by more people outside the lab.

Education

From primary school to summer camp for high school students from all over China, from future biological explorers to students from non-biology-relating majors. We shared ideas to spark new curiosity of synthetic biology.

Public Engagement

From bacterial painting activity to online game iGEM Diary, from “3 Minutes for Science” competition to National Science Day, we sought more creative and efficient ways to share interest of science also establish dialogues with the public.

GOLD-OVERVIEW

By blending science and art, we picked Wilde’s rose again. Propelled forward by iterative engagement and discussion with the public, we addressed three major issues about blending science and art: (i) Eliminating the bias and exploring the concept, (ii) Acceptance and involvement and (iii) Assimilation and changes of society tendency.

(i) Refining all the wisdom points sparked during interviews with scientists and collaborations with artists, we explored deeper insight indicating imagination and interaction.(ii) We conducted survey among young generation and knowing the current situation of lacking practical chances. Hence, we created Orfeo, which is a software could involve everyone in art-and-science practice. Orfeo transforms sounds chosen by users into light signals and simulate the unique roses which our E. coli would create in response. (iii) 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 profound influence on society tendency and inspire more significant creations of art-and-science combination in a more creative, imaginative and easy-accessed way.

Art × Science

Science and art should never get into narrow paths and be considered as incompatible with each other. How could we help eliminating the bias and exploring the concept? We think it would be significant to get deep into the world of scientists and artists, through idea collision and sharing, set up the basic concept of blending art with science. We discussed about relationship, meaning, key point and process about the blending of art and science.

Orpheus

Having communicated and discussed with real artists, we came up with the idea of presenting our work through a story and using the rose as the symbol to capture the emotional sympathy of the audience. What’s more, artists indicated that they were interested in the sound part in the story. They suggested that in the aesthetic domain, the synesthetic image, as a new metaphorical image, provides much novelty for the subject's aesthetic experience. How to introduce music to our project to make our story a well-developed one? And how to provide the chances for the public to easily get involved in the creation of art-and-science blending work? The two considerations motivated us to create Orpheus

Gifts for the world

Inspired by artists from Art and Science Research Center, we pioneered to use story as the carrier of our art-and-science work and capture the emotional sympathy of the public. We were invited to visit Art and Science Research Center. Deep contact with the environment they stay in and the work they have done, the most impressive part for us was the principle they hold, which is keeping the influence and creating all the time. What would our work be after we finish this year’s project? The idea of blending art and science should never be a transient thing, rather, it should become a tendency of the whole society.

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.