In a new study, Prof. Markus Buehler converted 20 types of amino acids into a 20-tone scale to create musical compositions. “Those altered compositions were converted back into a conceptual amino acid chain, which enabled the team to generate variations of proteins that have never been seen in nature,” writes Becky Ferreira for Motherboard.
WGBH reporter Jared Bowen spotlights the Ericka Beckman exhibition at the List Visual Arts Center. Henriette Huldisch, director of exhibitions and curator at the List, explains that Beckman employed, “bright primary colors, she used toy-like props and she structured her films very deliberately around games and gaming rather than following traditional dramatic structure or narrative.”
The MIT Chorallaries, a co-ed a cappella group at MIT, compete in WGBH’s Sing That Thing! competition. “I have always been really interested in music, but also really enjoyed doing math and science in school,” explains third-year student Madeline Wong. “I feel like they are both integral parts of my life and I couldn’t have one without the other.”
Reporting for WBUR, Pamela Reynolds spotlights “Ericka Beckman: Double Reverse,” on display at the List Visual Arts Center. Reynolds writes that through the exhibit Beckman explores “connections between games and gambling, the larger structures of capital, as well as the gamification of a culture which has given itself over to scores, challenges, tokens and rewards as a means of control.”
In an article for The Boston Globe about how the city of Cambridge is trying to bring ad-hoc art galleries into empty commercial spaces, Max Reyes highlights Spaceus, a startup founded by two MIT alumna that transforms unused shops into galleries and studio space for artists. “People are stoked that these spaces are no longer empty,” explains MIT graduate and Spaceus co-founder Stephanie Lee.
Boston Globe reporter Cate McQuaid writes that a new exhibit of Otto Piene’s work at the Fitchburg Art Museum spotlights the late artist’s work with light and fire. McQuaid writes that through his art Piene, who served as director of MIT’s Center for Advanced Visual Studies, “insisted on a better, more hopeful future.”
Boston Globe reporter Murray Whyte spotlights Kapwani Kiwanga’s new exhibit, “Safe Passage,” which is on display at the MIT List Visual Arts Center. Whyte writes that “‘Safe Passage’ is about a moment, not so long ago, when high art opted out of a divisive national argument.”
Graduate students Stephanie Lee and Ellen Shakespear speak with WBUR’s Hadley Green about Spaceus, a collaborative work and exhibition space they created for artists in the greater Boston area. Lee explains that Spaceus is committed to nurturing artists in the “heart of cities, because local creativity is what makes a place, gives it identity and meaning.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Sara Castellanos spotlights how researchers from MIT and Microsoft participated in a two-day hackathon with curators and digital experts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Together, they aimed to develop new AI technologies that could deliver new and personalized experiences “with a view toward deepening user engagement.”
National Geographic reporter Catherine Zuckerman spotlights the work of research scientist Felice Frankel, a photographer who captures images that are intended to captivate and inform viewers about complex scientific advances. Frankel explains that the goal of her new book is to help scientists “understand that beautiful images can engage the public.”
WBUR reporter Erin Trahan spotlights a new course that brings together MIT students and inmates at the South Bay House of Correction to create a two-story mural. She speaks with MIT first-year student Sherry Xiao, who explains that she is learning how to collaborate with people, share ideas, and respect other people's ideas.
Writing for Inside Higher Ed, research scientist Felice Frankel explains the importance of scientists learning how to communicate their work. “I am convinced that learning how to make technically accurate, interesting and honest images and graphics of science should be part of every scientist’s education,” writes Frankel.
Boston Globe reporter Cate McQuaid highlights the “Before Projection: Video Sculpture 1974-1995” show on display at the MIT List Visual Arts Center as the best video show of 2018.
Boston Globe reporter Zoë Madonna spotlights a performance by the Arneis Quartet at MIT, which included pieces by Prof. John Harbison and lecturer Elena Ruehr. Madonna writes that, “With high risks came high reward, and the Arneis Quartet offered an intense, indelible experience to the small crowd in Killian Hall.”
Reporting for WBUR, Amelia Mason spotlights a collaboration between graduate student Ben Bloomberg and Jacob Collier, a singer and former MIT artist-in-residence. Bloomberg explains that he and Collier aim to use technology as a means to augment human capabilities, explaining that, “technology should do things that technology is good at, and the people should do things that people are good at.”