Transdisciplinary Lecture: Mel Chin, Artist | The New School
Art, Media, and Technology at Parsons | http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/amt
Co-organized with the School of Art, Media, and Technology and the Fine Arts Program Parsons, this lecture series captures the increasingly trans-disciplinary nature of scientific, academic, artistic and cultural practices and, in particular, focuses on the complex cross-disciplinary settings for art's production in contemporary life. Clustered around specific subjects such as geophysics, system theory, economics, and the physics of time, the lectures are presented in thematic pairs, one week apart from one another. Members of The New School's acclaimed faculty alternate with external scholars, experts and artists. All lectures are open to the public.
PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN | http://www.newschool.edu/parsons
Artist Mel Chin discusses the philosophical and conceptual development of selected works, in relation to the notion of sustainability. For more than three decades, Chin has been developing a unique and socially engaged body of work in which cultural diversity and global solidarity played an important role. His project Revival Field, perhaps his most well-known work, has made him one of the most important pioneers of ecological art. His works have been defined "sculptural witnesses to ecological and political tragedies." Whether examining American imperialism in Central America, September 11, the fate of the Native American Indians, civil wars in post-colonial Africa, abuse at Guantanamo Bay, the extinction of animal species, or the way in which people pollute the natural world, Chin's practice creates an arena in which social and (geo) political activism are coupled with ideas from philosophy, biology, history, religion, anthropology, literature, and alchemy. Chin received a BA from Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1975, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1988 and 1990.
* Location: Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Auditorium, Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, 66 Fifth Avenue
