Presenters:   Elio Caccavale   Dawn Danby   Olaf Dreyer   Juan Geuer   Rob Godman   John Hatch   Kenneth A. Huff   Mantissa   Miroslav Lovric   Sally McKay   Eric Raymond   S. David Rosner   Mariano Sardón   Frederic P. Schuller   Krister Shalm   Lydia Sharman &   Stephen Morris   Donald Spector   Joseph Thywissen   Marion Tränkle   Koala Yip Symposium Science and Art a Hate / Love Affair by Juan Geuer http://www3.sympatico.ca/fred.mrg/ In WiS (Water in Suspense) 1999, a single ray of light from an orange laser shines into a slowly swelling drop of water. The light patterns on the wall behind behave like an ever-changing living organism. The complexity of surface tension in the water droplet and the ability of the water molecules to create inner structures, nobody yet understands, but something unknown reverberates with our own inner organism and that is what we call, I believe, our aesthetic sensibility. Post modern man's science has transformed our world, but not towards certainty. Rather, we are facing a landscape of new challenges. We may as well enjoy that 'sinful' reality we live in, because we depend on it. There is delightfully much to be refashioned. When in Bolivia, in the jungle I learned from my native friends to continuously renew oneself; to overcome the dichotomy between order and 'chaos'. I came to equate the product of Immanuel Kant's brain with the wisdom of ants as they had integrated the "Kritik der reinen Venunft" in their nest. In my opinion, the visual arts strive to connect the innermost self to the innermost 'out-there' as it is presented to us in ever varying new challenges. My experience with science confirmed my conviction that our investigative probing has a place in the rhythms of nature. Biography: Juan Geuer is a well known Canadian artist who was born in the Netherlands in 1917 into an environment of artists and philosophers. Before he came to Canada in 1955 he lived in Bolivia for 14 years where he developed as inventor, artist and social activist. In 1956 he began to work with geophysists, where besides working as draftsmen, he became seriously involved in scientific research. In the meanwhile his art integrated with the world he lived in. And he began to find ways to connect with the natural world beyond the boundaries imposed by science and art. His work is internationally represented in important institutions.   Page Top Copyright © 2004 Subtle Technologies Festival