Arts/Sciences#13: Emmanuel Ferrand

Wednesday, 5 June 2013 | 18:00 - 20:30

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Reductionism in today’s art: how do artists question mathematics and genetics?

Mathematics are often found behind digital artworks, through softwares such as Pure Data or Processing that incorporate powerful sound and image processing functions.

In this presentation, Emmanuel Ferrand will pay tribute to the “success” of mathematics, which allows not scientifically trained artists to appropriate innovative tools or develop their own.

But Emmanuel will go beyond reducing mathematics to a tool, and will discuss how some artists can approach very “deep” aspects of science, or have a definitely critical discourse on it.

It is significant that the ubiquity of digital media, pixels and sampled/virtualised reality extends to the field of life. The vocabulary of computing and engineering permeates biology through genetics (“synthetic biology”). Furthermore, as bio-art - often related to digital art - is experiencing a rapid development, tackling the question of reductionism with those artists will be interesting.

About Emmanuel Ferrand

Researcher in mathematics (topology, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris), Emmanuel is also involved in the sound art field. He organises workshops, conferences and digital art performances within the “La Générale” collective. He’s also a founding member of the Free Fermentology Foundation (Bacteria for the people).