New York Electronic Art Festival :: Victoria Vesna‘s and Jim Gimzewski‘s Blue Morph :: Opening Reception: Sunday, June 19, 2010 from 3:00 -5:00 p.m. :: St. Cornelius Chapel, Governor’s Island, NY :: Exhibition Dates: May 30 – September 25, 2011 — Hours: Friday 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Sat/Sun 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and by appointment ::

Blue Morph is a site-specific interactive installation that uses nanoscale images and sounds derived from the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Harvestworks is pleased to present this art-science collaboration between media artist Victoria Vesna and nanoscientist James Gimzewski.

Nanotechnology explorations are changing our perceptions of life in the world around us and this is symbolized by the newfound reality of the Blue Morpho butterfly. With the use of advanced optics it is recognized that the beautiful blue color of this butterfly is not pigment at all but rather patterns formed by nano. Blue Morpho has intrigued scientists for generations because of its subtle optical engineering that manipulate photons in amazing ways. The lamellate structure of their wing scales has been studied as a nanoscale model for the development of fabrics, dye-free paints, and anti-counterfeit technology such as that used in currency.

The optics are no doubt fascinating but the real surprise is in the discovery of the way cellular change takes place in a butterfly. The amplified sounds reveal the process both to be halting and violent contradicting our imagination of a gradual peaceful metamorphosis. In reality the cellular transformation happens in sudden surges of activity interspersed with stillness and silence. One could relate these surges to the current ups and downs of the financial markets, the social upheavals around the globe as well as the environmental bursts of earthquakes, floods and fires.

There are eight pumps or “hearts” that maintain a constant beat throughout the metamorphosis creating a pumping rhythm in the background. During the transformation through emergence each flattened cell of the wing becomes a nanophotonic structure of black protein and free space leading to iridescence. Thus the vibrations of change precede the visual and material manifestations.

Nano is not only making the invisible visible but also changing our way of relating to “silence” or making the in-audible audible. With all the noise of chattering technologies and minds, Victoria Vesna and Gimzewski propose the interactivity to be stillness. In this empty space of nano we can get in touch with the magic of continuous change and learn how to accept our own bursts of metamorphosis.

Victoria Vesna is a professor of design | media arts at UCLA and visiting professor at Parsons NS. James Gimzewski is a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UCLA, and the faculty director of the Nano & Pico Characterization core lab at CNSI. The two lead the UCLA Art | Sci Center, a collaboration between CNSI and the department of Design | Media arts that is exploring the intersections between art and science.

This version of the installation would not be possible without the generous support of the Bermant foundation and the California Nanosystems Institute (CNSI) in collaboration with Harvestworks.

Surround sound and interactivity: Paul Geluso. Installation design and coordination: Aliki Potiris. Head piece: Silvia Rigon. Interactive seat: Romie Littrell. Sound processing: Gil Kuno. Danaus plexippus chrysalis recording: Andrew Pelling and Paul WilkinsonButterfly wing imaging: Butterfly wing imaging: Marc Castagna, Senior Application Engineer, SEM operator. Thanks to Don Kania, CEO of FEI Corp. for permission to use the Scanning Electron Microscope. Morpho peleides and Danaus plexippus wings and pupa provided by Dr. Richard Stringer Department of Math, Science and Allied Health, Harrisburg Area Community College.

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