"Art, Interactivity and Robotics" at Carleton

Students to Present Eclectic Presentation of Their Collaborative Work

Electronic, interactive student sculpture is the focus of an eclectic art opening to be exhibited Wednesday, November 19 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Room 161 of Carleton College’s Boliou Hall. The exhibition is the culmination of a new, interdisciplinary seminar course offered to first-year students titled “Art, Interactivity and Robotics.” The event is free and open to the public.

The course was team-taught by associate professor of sculpture Stephen Mohring and associate professor of computer science Dave Musicant. The idea for the class was hatched four years ago, when Mohring attended a workshop on the MIT-designed “Cricket,” a programmable controller the size of a 9-volt battery. Not long afterward, Mohring approached Musicant, who teaches robotics courses in the computer science department, about the possibility of collaborating on an interdisciplinary course. They hoped that the interdisciplinary nature of the class would attract both art students who might not be otherwise drawn to computer science and students who are interested in programming but weren’t as comfortable with a traditional studio art course.

Thirteen first-year students participated in the new seminar this fall. Students were first taught the basic programming vocabulary that they would draw on throughout the term. Then, differing sculptural materials were introduced for use in conjunction with the electronic components, progressing from cardboard and hot glue to wood and metal. The course was developed to foster problem-based engagement. However, according to Musicant, the course differs from other robotics classes in that the robotic elements are not employed to solve pragmatic problems, such as fighting fires or completing mazes, but instead to engage more abstract ideas. Mohring added that the course is characterized by its “consistent engagement with interactivity,” a theme that other sculpture courses touch upon but rarely make central.

For their final projects, which will be on display at the November 19 event, students were asked to create an interactive artwork that engages with the viewer without the assistance of a director or operator. Among the many things that visitors can expect to see are sculptures that react to their surroundings, change according to light conditions, and play games with the viewer.

Mohring and Musicant hope to offer the course as a freshman seminar again in the future, and to incorporate the Cricket technology into upper-level sculpture and robotics courses at Carleton.

For more information, including disability accommodations, contact the Carleton College Department of Art and Art History at (507) 222-4341.