A hub where artists, scientists, philosophers, historians, inventors and scholars meet? The Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER) series was founded in San Francisco in 2008, by cultural historian Piero Scaruffi. The forum brought together artists and scientists in real time, after his proposition of the program to Leonardo’s executive editor Roger Malina. The short introductions of their projects inspired interdisciplinary networking where the participants share ideas and interact. The platform is free of charge, which creates a democratic spirit; open to the public for original discussions. The audiences vary depending to the range of topics and each speaker attracts new audience members. LASERs monthly lectures and presentations now take place in San Francisco, Berkeley, Stanford, Santa Cruz, Davis, Austin, New York, and London. LASERs will be starting soon in Toronto and Montreal.
Patricia Bentson, Director of Leonardo/ISAST, highlights LEONARDO's contributions to art/science publications for nearly 50 years, as well as its international authorship and readership, with significant representation in the United States, particularly North America. LASERs incorporated the rising number of practitioners and academic interest in interdisciplinary themes over those years, while actively participating in symposia, conferences, and workshops. The discussions included the speakers’ presentations and the audience members were invited to give a 30-second description on their projects. The setting of those gatherings seems to change according to the chair.
The NY LASERS are led by three past LEAF Chairs, Ellen Levy, Victoria Vesna, and Patricia Olynyk, and take place in an informal setting without recording the talks. The limited number of participants encourages sharing feedback and enables potential collaborations. Furthermore, Ellen Levy says that more artists than scientists frequently attend these gatherings. Living in a hybrid world and rejecting rigid categorizations such as the broad term "artist," how does space and place affect the members? JD Talasek, Director of Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., is the driving force behind the DASER events in Washington, D.C. He also debuted ATX LASER in a non-academic context in March at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum in Austin. His motivation as a scholar in residence at the UMLAUF is to foster local communities that will allow participants to engage and equally introduce their interests, making it even more interesting on how culture is disseminated spatially and distributed geographically. When the collaboration between the scientist and the artist is not always democratic in proportions, art and science remain a "tricky area," and in order to overcome this barrier, they need to talk more. In Talasek's case, the pre-networking sessions produce an engaging result, as he explains, "human beings have common interests which can only open through communication and dialogue."
Even if LASERS create a certain amount of light in the United States, they launched for the first time in Europe on February 18, 2014. An initiative taken by Heather Barnett , lecturer at the MA Art & Science at Central Saint Martins and Adrienne Klein, chair of LEAF, Leonardo Education Arts Forum, based in New York at CUNY. As Heather said ‘it seemed like a perfect opportunity to join forces and make it an inter-institutional event’. In the evening, the University of Westminster welcomed two pioneers of London's art/science scene. Nicola Triscott, director of The Arts Catalyst, and Daniel Glaser, director of Kings College London's new Science Gallery, due to open in late 2015. Nicola shared some ‘stories of reconstruct’ on her drive behind art/science, following her training in physics and her immediate attraction to art & science projects.
The organisation has commissioned a number of noteworthy artists, and their unique productions, exciting statements, and aesthetic judgements continue to have a social impact. Dr. Daniel Glaser, a neuroscientist, science communicator, cultural leader, and former Head of Engaging Science at the Wellcome Trust, shared his vision for this ambitious project where art and science collide by crossing boundaries between communities and academia. From Dublin to London, Science Gallery international is also in discussions with New York, Bangalore and Melbourne about establishing hubs in those cities by 2020.
Thinking about the future, multidisciplinary interaction can happen through online networks and social media & common interest groups. The technological advancement can now facilitate critical communication between artists, scientists, cultural leaders, inventors, academics, philosophers and others. While the LASER initiative fosters strong local communities, spatial and physical limitations still remain continental. Mainly held in North America, slowly expanding in South America and following their first appearance in Europe, they still have a long way to go before becoming universal and expanding in other territories.
International art and science networks such as ASCI in the United States, Synapse in Australia, and MARCEL in Europe present a global alternative to collaboration and resource sharing. Despite attracting focused groups, technology provides a broader perspective, often lacking the same level of physical interaction and experimentation. The internet acts as an enlightening catalyst through recorded and published talks online that are open to the public. Looking into a world to come, is virtual space going to replace physical space? Will virtual communities replace local communities? It might sound utopic but both art and science explore universal meanings, and such networks are crucial for the continuation of the dialogue and feedback in our local communities.