Cosmoscope

Abstract

Cosmoscope is an interdisciplinary project led by Professor Simeon Nelson, culminating in a sound and light sculpture created in collaboration with Rob Godman, DrNick Rothwell and a leading team of scientists; Dr Simon Walker-Samuel (Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, UCL Centre for Advanced BiomedicalImaging), Dr Richard Bower (Professor of Cosmology, Institute for ComputationalCosmology, Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics Durham University) and DrAndrew Goodwin (Professor of Materials Chemistry at the University of Oxford). Cosmoscope looks at our evolving conception of our place in the cosmos. The sculpture and research methods built on Arthur Koestler’s notion of holarchy (The Ghost in the Machine, 1967), a relational and decentralized system of holons; both parts and wholes that reconcile atomistic and holistic approaches. Cosmoscope situates humans at the midpoint of the quantum and the cosmological scales asking what is our place in the Universe? What does it mean to reimagine oneself in this widest system of meaning? Cosmoscope extends the investigations in previous artworks by Nelson, namely Anarchy in the Organism (2011-15) and Plenum (2010-12). Nelson set research questions and a conceptual/aesthetic vision within which to integrate the participant’s specialisms. A two-year collaborative process included three whole group workshops and over twenty partial group meetings and continuous discussion on a Slack online forum. This changed the way participants thought about their specialisms by having to relate them to each other rather than considering them in isolation Interdisciplinary understanding grew through repeated presenting and discussing participant’s research and perspectives. We succeeded in synthesizing advanced work on molecular frustrated spin-systems, blood flow and galactic clusters into the music, lighting and structure of Cosmoscope’s holistic framework. It extends work by groups like the Information Experience Design Group, RCA, that validate art as equal to science in generating knowledge by prioritizing psychological/existential implications. <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 14.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}