LASER Talk: Embodied Encounters

The Beall Center for Art + Technology presents "Embodied Encounters: A LASER Talk," the first of a four-part series of LASER Talks to be held on campus. 

Produced in tandem with Leonardo (The International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology), "Embodied Encounters: A LASER Talk" will feature speakers that will discuss the philosophical and conceptual ways artists and scientists respond to a world made increasingly complex by technology, as well as the evolution of action in creation, and the synergy between materiality and bodily awareness. Presenters will unpack ideas relating to the new language of creative cognition, a phenomenon that is highly relevant to contemporary artistic and scientific practices alike. Included as part of the UCI-produced conference, "Body of Knowledge: Embodied Cognition and the Arts," this panel talk will include presentations by interdisciplinary artists from the Beall Center's current exhibition, Embodied Encounters; including Rhona Byrne (Ireland), George Khut (Australia), Karen Lancel & Hermen Maat (Netherlands), Miriam Simun (United States), and Sha Xin Wei (United States). The panel will be moderated by exhibition Co-Curators David Familian and Simon Penny. For more information about the curators and participating artists, please visit the Embodied Encounters exhibition page.

This event is part of the world wide series, LASER Talks sponsored by Leonardo. Founded in 2008, LASERs are now happening in over a dozen locales internationally: Zurich, University of San Francisco, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, New York City, London, Tacoma, Toronto, Montreal, Kansas State University, and for the first time - UCI.  For more information go to: http://www.leonardo.info/isast/laser.html. Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology (Leonardo/ISAST) is a nonprofit organization that serves the global network of distinguished scholars, artists, scientists, researchers and thinkers through our programs focused on interdisciplinary work, creative output and innovation. From its beginnings, Leonardo/ISAST has served as THE virtual community for purposes of networking, resource-sharing, best practices, research and events in Art/Science/Technology. The Beall Center for Art + Technology is honored to have Leonardo's collaborative support on this public program series.

The Beall Center for Art + Technology has also partnered with UCI Applied Innovation - which was developed largely to provide a neutral space for interdisciplinary collaboration and discovery, and is conceptually reflective of Leonardo’s focus on networking and resource-sharing in the spirit of innovation. UCI Applied Innovation will serve as the on-campus venue for three of the four LASER Talks produced by the Beall Center. Additionally, the Beall Center's cultural partner for its LASER Talk series is the Laguna Art Museum – a local institution located in Laguna Beach (CA) that provides access and visibility to the larger arts community in Orange County, and champions the collection and promotion of California artists. We thank them both for their ongoing support of this series.

LASER Talks are FREE and open to the public with registration. Registration is now open through EventBrite, and is limited - so be sure to register early!

Paid parking is available in either the Mesa Parking Structure (4000 Mesa Rd., Irvine, CA 92697) or the Student Center Parking Structure (311 W. Peltason Dr, Irvine, CA 92697). A Full-Day pass (8 hours) is $10; or hourly parking is available for $2 per hour. Either pass can be purchased with cash or credit card from the parking kiosk stationed at the entrance of each structure, or at the Pay-By-Space electronic kiosks. The Beall Center is a short walk from either parking structure; walking directions will be provided one week prior to the event via email. Comfortable walking shoes are encouraged.