[Sci-tech-public] ZOE Recommendation - Mel Chin April 7, 2008 and Fritz Haeg on April 16, 2008

[Debbie Meinbresse]

>From: James Pollack <pollackj at MIT.EDU>
>Subject: ZOE Recommendation - Mel Chin April 7, 
>2008 and Fritz Haeg on April 16, 2008
>Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:54:48 -0400
>
>Our sister program, the Center for Advanced 
>Visual Studies is having two excellent upcoming 
>events.  They are free and open to the public.
>
>
>>The Center for Advanced Visual Studies MIT / 
>>265 Massachusetts Ave, 3rd Fl / Cambridge MA 
>>02139 / 617 253 4415 / <http://cavs.mit.edu>http://cavs.mit.edu
>>
>>
>>Mel Chin
>>Monday April 7 2008 6:30 pm
>>
>>Preeminent conceptual sculptor and installation 
>>artist Mel Chin visits the Center April 7-9th. 
>>On Monday he will screen his new animated film, 
>>9/11-9/11, 2007, which juxtaposes the events of 
>>Sept 11th 1973 and 2001. He'll also introduce 
>>Fundred, 2008, a major new public project that 
>>brings attention to lead levels in 
>>neighborhoods of New Orleans through a massive 
>>national mobilization of artistic labor. During 
>>his visit, he'll meet with faculty and students 
>>in urban studies, mechanical engineering, 
>>systems design, and data visualization to discuss projects in development.
>>
>>A voracious learner and catalyst of major 
>>endeavors that bring people and ideas together 
>>in unexpected ways, Mel Chin insinuates art 
>>into unlikely places, including destroyed 
>>homes, toxic landfills, and even the television 
>>series Melrose Place, investigating how art can 
>>provoke greater social awareness and 
>>responsibility. Chin has engaged ecology and 
>>the environment for many years, and has worked 
>>extensively with scientists, notably on Revival 
>>Field, 1991-ongoing, in which he and a research 
>>scientist in the US Dept of Agriculture 
>>successfully cultivated plants that extract 
>>heavy metal from brownfields--a work of what 
>>Chin calls "real alchemy."  His projects also 
>>challenge the idea of the artist as the 
>>exclusive creative force behind an artwork. 
>>“The survival of my own ideas may not be as 
>>important as a condition I might create for 
>>others’ ideas to be realized,” says Chin, who 
>>often enlists entire neighborhoods or groups of 
>>students in creative partnerships. Mel Chin was 
>>born in Houston to Chinese parents in 1951, and 
>>currently lives in North Carolina. (Bio adapted from Art21)
>>
>><http://cavs.mit.edu/artists.html?id=264,605>http://cavs.mit.edu/artists.html?id=264,605
>>http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/chin/
>>
>>++
>>
>>Fritz Haeg
>>Wednesday April 16th 2008 6:30 pm
>>
>>The Center is pleased to host Fritz Haeg and 
>>his project Animal Estates, 2008, during the 
>>week of April 14th. While at MIT, Haeg will 
>>give a talk on his work and, with the help of 
>>MIT students and artists, build one installment 
>>of Animal Estates, a new series of dwellings 
>>thoughtfully designed to welcome an animal back 
>>into the city. These environments are made for 
>>displaced wildlife or for animals that have 
>>been domesticated. The Center will host one of 
>>eight estates—the first was built in New York 
>>as part of the Whitney Biennial while others 
>>will appear at Arthouse, Austin, TX; the 
>>Contemporary Museum, Baltimore, MD; The Museum 
>>of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA; Cooley 
>>Gallery, Portland OR; Alaska Design Forum, 
>>Fairbanks, AK; and Casco Projects, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
>>
>>Haeg writes: “As animal habitats dwindle daily, 
>>Animal Estates proposes the reintroduction of 
>>animals back into our cities, strip malls, 
>>garages, office parks, freeways, front yards, 
>>parking lots and neighborhoods
 As the human 
>>domination of the planet continues, animals are 
>>alternately viewed as exotic specimens to be 
>>treated as spectacle, cartoon characters that 
>>are anthropomorphized, friendly companions to 
>>be coddled, objectified resources to be 
>>exploited, inconveniences to be tolerated, 
>>pests to be eradicated or anonymous unseen 
>>creatures to which we are indifferent. Animal 
>>Estates intends to provide a provocative 21st 
>>century model for the human-animal relationship 
>>that is more intimate, visible and thoughtful.”
>>
>>Fritz Haeg is an architect and artist based in 
>>Los Angeles whose work combines strategies from 
>>architecture, art, ecology, and education. 
>>Known for his geodesic dome and the lively 
>>Sundown Salons that attract emerging artists, 
>>musicians, and performers, Haeg’s projects 
>>challenge conventional ideas about where art should go and what art can do.
>>
>><http://www.cavs.mit.edu>http://www.cavs.mit.edu
>>http://www.fritzhaeg.com/garden/initiatives/animalestates/main.html
>>
>>++
>>
>>The Center for Advanced Visual Studies is 
>>funded in part by the National Endowment for 
>>the Arts; the Multi-Arts Production (MAP) Fund; 
>>the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state 
>>agency; the LEF Foundation; and the MIT Council for the Arts.
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