What the F is Yuri’s Night!?
I know, I know. This was only it’s 2nd year as a large scale event here in the Bay Area. Basically what it is, is a celebration for science, particularly issues dealing with new technologies, the history and future, and our current relationship with, outer space. The idea began by paying homage Yuri Gagarin. “Yuri Gagarin was the first human to go into space on April 12th, 1961. The US Space Shuttle first launched on April 12th, 1981. Yuri's Night is like the St Patricks Day or Cinco de Mayo for space. It is one day when all the world can come together and celebrate the power and beauty of space and what it means for each of us” -http://www.yurisnight.net/2008/. When you think about it, that’s a pretty amazing feat. I would say “hell fuckin yeah I’ll be the first member of our species, in the history of our species on Earth, to go into outer space!” I’d probably piss my pants just from the idea that I am ONE human amidst the uncountable humans that have lived since the beginning of the modern human 200000 years ago, to leave this planet. Think about it!
So Yuri’s Night is held on April 12th and is over 90 parties held in over 30 countries around the world. Check this out to get an idea. Here in the Bay Area, we’re lucky enough to have the biggest and best party. Some places throw their parties in a local bar, in the university Science Club meeting room, or in some dude’s basement. But here! We get to go to the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View. The event is 2pm to 2am and is held in a huge NASA hangar. This year some good people played like Tipper, Lusine, Tycho, Amon Tobin. At a quick glance the event might look like a Burningman but for science and electronic music lovers. There are plenty of science hippies there, but there are also many people just plain into science and good music…you know like Junia and I. So getting to my point.
This year I had the opportunity to create two works for Yuri’s Night. This came about because I ran into a friend who happened to be this year’s art curator. I offered vinyl signage or help and he asked me to do an installation for some wall space in a VIP tent. Awesome. I had 2 days to get back to him with one and when I did they approved it and asked if I could do another one. Hell yes! So here are my two pieces.
“Where is the Science?” is on 72x48 canvas. (following is very informal writing and probably has tons of grammatical errors.) There is a little boy, dreaming about himself, dreaming about scientific issues and ideas VERY relevant to today and our future. This A to B to C is there to create a disconnection. The idea is that our education and youth are still very disconnected to these ideas.
Let me tell you what those scientific ideas are, starting with the top left:
"Helloooo Kyotooo": This is in reference to the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Countries that ratify this protocol commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases. As of December 2007, the US and Kazakhstan are the only signatory nations not to have ratified the act. WEAK! we suck!
"Big bang big crunch big mac attack!" This one is just a playful juxtaposition. The big bang, most people know about. The Big Crunch is a theory of what happened before the big bang...or if you want to put it, what will happen when all the universes finally collapse...which would then cause another Big Bang...etc etc. BUT! do people even know about these theories? I'm sure many people might just read "Big Mac Attack!" and laugh it off. I like the idea of a huge astronomical idea being lost by our obsession with fast food.
"Where is the ScienceDebate2008?" This one is super relevant. It’s basically a call....a plea!... to the 2008 presidential Candidates to have a scientific debate.. something they are all afraid to do. But as we can see, with all these important issues, the public needs to get in on scientific issues. Let’s hope Hillary and Obama have the huevos.
"hamburger with "Invincible Defense Technology".. IDT, is not really a technology. It's basically a form of yoga. BUT, theoretically if practiced in large groups or communities, the theory is that it decreases crime and murder, etc etc. I guess there are supposed to be some military training on this sometime this year. It's very interesting. People bounce around sitting yoga-style-legs-crossed, but all together. They say if 1% of the population in an area does it, great things can happen.
"Large Hadron Collider" This is a new physics instrument that is supposed to be used this year! after using it, it might have profound affects on the theories of the Big Bang and how our Universe began. ... those wired tubes you see are worm holes which are related to talks of the expanding universe.
"Moon 2008, 2050" This is a play on the ideas of space travel and it's relationship with Defense in the US. Check this out.. Robert Walker, a former congressman and a member of the Presidential Commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy said "Having a U.S. presence on the moon at least gives us the chance to keep an eye on the standard of conduct," Walker says. "And that's pretty damned important. In military terms, the moon can be seen as the ultimate high ground. A nation could set up hard-to-defeat microwave or laser weapons platforms aimed at in-orbit satellites or, in the best sci-fi tradition, to launch large rocks at the Earth with "mass drivers”.... INSANE.
"Robots and Earth as Art" This is my dive into science and art. This one is more based on my feelings toward how the masses view science and the awesome awesome awesome universe we live in. People believe because you don't believe in GOD or religion that you can't appreciate who and where we are. I feel it's the complete OPPOSITE. How can you appreciate the crazy wonders in our universe if you give one idea credit for the reality that we live in and then shut them out by not exploring and questioning the mind-blowing ideas that arise in our lives. Also, I feel it brings the whole piece together in it's purpose. Art is my means to get these questions out to people who might not normally see them.
"Use the Matrix" This one is a Stem Cell Research reference. There is this new miracle powder called "The Extrocellular Matrix" that they are going to start testing this year on Troops coming home who have lost limbs. One man used it on his finger after losing an inch of it by a blade, after like 4 weeks, his finger grew back.. Stem Cells are the damn future of medicine.
"the Lambs" This is a little reference to another artist piece. Aaron Koblin used the internet and Amazon's new Mechanical Turk to get 10000 "sheep facing left" drawn by people around the world. This new internet phenomenon shows the power of connectivity. People got paid 2 cents per sheep drawing. Corporations will use this thing for MASSIVE information and data cases.
"Pluto and Eris" This refers to the debate over "What is a Planet?" Pluto was all fine and dandy, then comes along bigger Eris (Xena was the original name wanted by Michael Brown, discoverer). Pluto in the end, was demoted as a planet and is now a Dwarf Planet along with Eris. This is important because we will keep finding "planets" or just things larger than Pluto beyond it's orbit and it's important we know what to do with them...so to speak.
"Science does not know it's debt to imagination" a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This ties everything together.. I mean, this little boy could just have some crazy imagination and is dreaming up all this stuff. Science does not push forward when there is no imagination and each of those ideas drawn are perfect examples.
”I Get My Energy From Somewhere Else” is vinyl on 34x34 plywood. Whenever I think about “the energy crisis” and global warming, I immediately start thinking about our children. What do they think of all this? If most of the adults in this country don’t see the seriousness in an issue like this, what about these kids? If everyone put, like, just ONE hour of their life into reading about what might happen in our own life time due to global warming, I think things would change real quick. Kids aren’t like that though. They get their energy from somewhere else. They don’t need us to point a gun to their head and say “YOUR CITIES WILL BE UNDER WATER IN LESS THAN 50 YEARS!” They get their energy from somewhere else.
Thanks to Laughing Squid for some of these pics below
So Yuri’s Night is held on April 12th and is over 90 parties held in over 30 countries around the world. Check this out to get an idea. Here in the Bay Area, we’re lucky enough to have the biggest and best party. Some places throw their parties in a local bar, in the university Science Club meeting room, or in some dude’s basement. But here! We get to go to the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View. The event is 2pm to 2am and is held in a huge NASA hangar. This year some good people played like Tipper, Lusine, Tycho, Amon Tobin. At a quick glance the event might look like a Burningman but for science and electronic music lovers. There are plenty of science hippies there, but there are also many people just plain into science and good music…you know like Junia and I. So getting to my point.
This year I had the opportunity to create two works for Yuri’s Night. This came about because I ran into a friend who happened to be this year’s art curator. I offered vinyl signage or help and he asked me to do an installation for some wall space in a VIP tent. Awesome. I had 2 days to get back to him with one and when I did they approved it and asked if I could do another one. Hell yes! So here are my two pieces.
“Where is the Science?” is on 72x48 canvas. (following is very informal writing and probably has tons of grammatical errors.) There is a little boy, dreaming about himself, dreaming about scientific issues and ideas VERY relevant to today and our future. This A to B to C is there to create a disconnection. The idea is that our education and youth are still very disconnected to these ideas.
Let me tell you what those scientific ideas are, starting with the top left:
"Helloooo Kyotooo": This is in reference to the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Countries that ratify this protocol commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases. As of December 2007, the US and Kazakhstan are the only signatory nations not to have ratified the act. WEAK! we suck!
"Big bang big crunch big mac attack!" This one is just a playful juxtaposition. The big bang, most people know about. The Big Crunch is a theory of what happened before the big bang...or if you want to put it, what will happen when all the universes finally collapse...which would then cause another Big Bang...etc etc. BUT! do people even know about these theories? I'm sure many people might just read "Big Mac Attack!" and laugh it off. I like the idea of a huge astronomical idea being lost by our obsession with fast food.
"Where is the ScienceDebate2008?" This one is super relevant. It’s basically a call....a plea!... to the 2008 presidential Candidates to have a scientific debate.. something they are all afraid to do. But as we can see, with all these important issues, the public needs to get in on scientific issues. Let’s hope Hillary and Obama have the huevos.
"hamburger with "Invincible Defense Technology".. IDT, is not really a technology. It's basically a form of yoga. BUT, theoretically if practiced in large groups or communities, the theory is that it decreases crime and murder, etc etc. I guess there are supposed to be some military training on this sometime this year. It's very interesting. People bounce around sitting yoga-style-legs-crossed, but all together. They say if 1% of the population in an area does it, great things can happen.
"Large Hadron Collider" This is a new physics instrument that is supposed to be used this year! after using it, it might have profound affects on the theories of the Big Bang and how our Universe began. ... those wired tubes you see are worm holes which are related to talks of the expanding universe.
"Moon 2008, 2050" This is a play on the ideas of space travel and it's relationship with Defense in the US. Check this out.. Robert Walker, a former congressman and a member of the Presidential Commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy said "Having a U.S. presence on the moon at least gives us the chance to keep an eye on the standard of conduct," Walker says. "And that's pretty damned important. In military terms, the moon can be seen as the ultimate high ground. A nation could set up hard-to-defeat microwave or laser weapons platforms aimed at in-orbit satellites or, in the best sci-fi tradition, to launch large rocks at the Earth with "mass drivers”.... INSANE.
"Robots and Earth as Art" This is my dive into science and art. This one is more based on my feelings toward how the masses view science and the awesome awesome awesome universe we live in. People believe because you don't believe in GOD or religion that you can't appreciate who and where we are. I feel it's the complete OPPOSITE. How can you appreciate the crazy wonders in our universe if you give one idea credit for the reality that we live in and then shut them out by not exploring and questioning the mind-blowing ideas that arise in our lives. Also, I feel it brings the whole piece together in it's purpose. Art is my means to get these questions out to people who might not normally see them.
"Use the Matrix" This one is a Stem Cell Research reference. There is this new miracle powder called "The Extrocellular Matrix" that they are going to start testing this year on Troops coming home who have lost limbs. One man used it on his finger after losing an inch of it by a blade, after like 4 weeks, his finger grew back.. Stem Cells are the damn future of medicine.
"the Lambs" This is a little reference to another artist piece. Aaron Koblin used the internet and Amazon's new Mechanical Turk to get 10000 "sheep facing left" drawn by people around the world. This new internet phenomenon shows the power of connectivity. People got paid 2 cents per sheep drawing. Corporations will use this thing for MASSIVE information and data cases.
"Pluto and Eris" This refers to the debate over "What is a Planet?" Pluto was all fine and dandy, then comes along bigger Eris (Xena was the original name wanted by Michael Brown, discoverer). Pluto in the end, was demoted as a planet and is now a Dwarf Planet along with Eris. This is important because we will keep finding "planets" or just things larger than Pluto beyond it's orbit and it's important we know what to do with them...so to speak.
"Science does not know it's debt to imagination" a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This ties everything together.. I mean, this little boy could just have some crazy imagination and is dreaming up all this stuff. Science does not push forward when there is no imagination and each of those ideas drawn are perfect examples.
”I Get My Energy From Somewhere Else” is vinyl on 34x34 plywood. Whenever I think about “the energy crisis” and global warming, I immediately start thinking about our children. What do they think of all this? If most of the adults in this country don’t see the seriousness in an issue like this, what about these kids? If everyone put, like, just ONE hour of their life into reading about what might happen in our own life time due to global warming, I think things would change real quick. Kids aren’t like that though. They get their energy from somewhere else. They don’t need us to point a gun to their head and say “YOUR CITIES WILL BE UNDER WATER IN LESS THAN 50 YEARS!” They get their energy from somewhere else.
Thanks to Laughing Squid for some of these pics below
4 comments:
Yuri"s Night was sweet! Your artwork was awesome man.
yeah! We are now credited for the vinyl peeling
hey lil bro! great work! they came out great. it looks like my lil alina!! you're so talented its crazy! love you!
Where's the picture the good looking Tycho???
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