If a Tree Falls - Michaela French
Dawn Yoxall
12th October - 4th November 2018
Image © Michaela French
If A Tree Falls in A Forest is an artistic investigation based upon the well-known philosophical thought experiment regarding the observation and perception of reality. The exhibition combines contemporary art & design with cosmological research, inviting audiences to adopt an expanded view of the natural world. Anchored in the physical environment of the forest, the exhibition leads the audience from the tangible reality of the physical world, outward into the conceptual space of contemporary cosmology. It considers the ecological idea of interconnectivity, placing each individual viewer at the centre of an infinitely complex living system.
The artworks for exhibition will be developed through a collaborative project between MA Art & Design students from Royal College of Art’s Information Experience Design (IED) and early-career scientists from University College London’s Cosmoparticle Initiative. Led by IED tutors artist Michaela French and designer Dr Helga Schmid with UCL cosmologist Dr Andrew Pontzen, the project transforms selected scientific research data into exploratory 2D, 3D and time-based artistic visualisations for exhibition. These artworks are informed by the beauty of the natural world and explore the cultural and scientific implications of contemporary cosmological research by communicating concepts which are often inaccessible, abstract and intangible.
