SCALES OF CHAOS: THE DANCE OF ART & CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE

Scales of Chaos: The Dance of Art and Contemporary Science is the result of a required practicum course for Art History majors called The Curatorial Project (ARTH 331) taught each spring with the exhibition topic coinciding with the university’s COLL 300 theme. For spring 2020, the theme is SCALE, and the course was taught by Xin Conan-Wu, Associate Professor of Art History. This exhibition approaches the theme of “scale” from the unconventional perspective of Chaos Theory, presenting new ways of reading art, and a selection of abstract and figurative works of art that embody sensible intuitions of complexity. Different from our familiar notions, Chaos Theory introduces a new kind of scale that is based on change and dynamism in nature. A small impact on a complex dynamic system can cause either orderly or disorderly behaviors and results, depending on the level of complexity. This has ushered in novel models of perceiving and engaging with contemporary issues such as the environment and climate change. Art and science explore one and the same world, each with its own tools and lens, and at its own pace. As this exhibition shows, art has either been responsive, or intuitive, in its dance with science.