Art in Silico

Hosted in the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) in Room 202. Food and refreshments provided.

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"The Voice Synthesis Mixtape: A History of Singing Machines in Eight Songs"

"It took nearly a century of development in electronic voice synthesis to get to Siri and Alexa. The earliest synthesizers created voice-like sounds out of the buzzy electrical current and circuitry in analog components. These were followed by the robotic sounds of early digital signal processing before today’s human sounding software became possible. Along the way, singing was often used as a demonstration of how human sounding voice synthesis could be, or a test for how far it still had to go. Voice synthesis specifically designed for singing wasn’t developed until the late 1990s, but, throughout the 20th century, avant-garde and mainstream artists incorporated speech synthesizers into their music, exploring both the new electronic soundscape as well as ideas about the problems with and possibilities for human-machine interaction. This presentation will follow the history of voice synthesis discussed in Bell’s book Vox ex Machina: A Cultural History of Talking Machines, but will look at (and listen to!) what happened when those talking machines were made to sing."

About Sarah:

Sarah A. Bell (Associate Professor of Digital Technology) is the author of Vox ex Machina: A Cultural History of Talking Machines (MIT Press, 2024), longlisted by the New Yorker magazine as one of the “Best Things We Read in 2024.” Excerpts from the book have been featured in online science publications including the MIT Press Reader, Big Think, Nautilus, and Popular Science. Bell has been interviewed about the book by Mina Kim for Forum (KQED San Francisco) and Alan Alda for his Clear + Vivid podcast. Bell’s academic writing has appeared in Computational Culture, Popular Music & Society, Information & Culture, and other journals.

Opening Reception: @ the CCCAC 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM 

Main Reception: @ the Orpheum 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM*

 

*Live music at the Orpheum from John Kiran Fernandes from The Olivia Tremor Control. There will also be an opening performance form Michael G. Maxwell

 

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Stop by the CCCAC to check out this year's show gallery, then join us in the Orpheum to hear live music, auction for available exhibition pieces, and enjoy food and friends on a sure to be fun evening! 

Hosted by the CCCAC between 10AM and 6PM on April 2-4

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Stop by the CCCAC during this time to check out the works submitted to the show this year! 

 

For Artists Submitting to the Exhibition:

Drop your art off at the CCCAC by March 29 at 2PM

Pick up your art from the CCCAC by April 5 at 2PM

*Please let the Art in Silico committee know if you are unable to meet one or both of these dates and we can work something out.

Hosted by Martin Krzywinski in Rehki 112

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During the first 30 minutes of this session, Martin will give a talk entitled “Art is Science in Love”. Art allows us to find ourselves in the science. Because, while milestones in scientific discovery may be inevitable, our personal reaction to the world they describe is not. Martin will share his experiences in combining science, art, visualization and design to create explanations, promote engagement, and stir the imagination. From public signage, music videos about transfinite numbers, posters depicting cancer journeys as trees, to his annual "Pi Day" celebration.

The remaining 90 minutes is an open-floor session where you’ll have the chance to share your work, ask questions, and get feedback from Martin and fellow attendees. Whether you need guidance on visual storytelling, refining your concept, or making your work more impactful, this is your opportunity to explore creative strategies in a supportive and inspiring environment.

Hosted by Martin Krzywinski in the Memorial Union Building (MUB) Alumni Lounge (on the first floor). Food and refreshments provided.

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“Explain visually, explain well. Practise and philosophy of scientific communication”

"I will distill the core concepts of information design into practical guidelines for creating visual explanations of science: figures, posters and graphical abstracts. The focus will be on clarity and concision and on the idea that form follows function. You'll learn visual strategies for organization, emphasis and theme. To illustrate these guidelines concretely, I will walk you through redesigns of scientific visualizations from the wild."

 

About Martin:

Martin Krzywinski is renowned for his innovative work in data visualization and computational art, seamlessly blending science and aesthetics. As a scientist at Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, he has pioneered visual representations of complex scientific data, making intricate concepts accessible and engaging. His expertise lies in transforming data into compelling visual narratives, offering unique insights into computational art and design.

Hosted by The Alley Makerspace and Superior Fab Lab at Houghton High School

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Check out this page for details

Hosted by Dr. Evan Lucas in Rekhi 112

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Want to get familiar with AI image generation models? Join Dr. Evan Lucas on March 12 for a brief history of image generation technology, as well as get a chance to toy with popular generation tools in the computer lab!