A scientist’s pathway to art
By : Dr Lam Miu-ling, School of Creative Media
Science and art seem to be different disciplines. But to me, they are inseparable. Even though I studied mechanical engineering, I have loved art since I was young. These two favourite subjects don’t make me choose; they make me integrate.
The first time I practised media art, I used computer programming. Later, whenever I was inspired to create art, I tried different approaches. Eventually, I found that science and art share a common feature: both require creativity for problem solving.
The audience listened to the live audio from natural sites. One night when I was living in the US, I couldn’t sleep. I had an urge to listen to live nature sounds. But I couldn’t because I was in the city. I was inspired to relocate the soundscape from nature to where nature does not exist. So I collected live-streaming audios from four natural sites, including one in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Maui in the state of Hawaii, US, one under an ice field in Antarctica, one on Seal Island in the state of Maine, US, and one in a forest in South Africa. The audios included the natural sounds of whale vocalisation, ice cracking, birds chirping and rain dripping. All the sounds were streamed in real time; no pre-recording was made.
I decided to invite the audience to use their mobile phones to listen to the sounds, as I wanted to create a personal and intimate auditory experience. However, as the real-time audios were streamed in different formats, I had to unify the formats through computer programming and assign a telephone number to each audio. This new media artwork, titled Streaming Nature, has been showcased in Hong Kong and the US. While bringing the audience “closer” to Mother Nature, the artwork subtly raises several fundamental questions: Does the use of technology move us closer or further away from nature? Is embedding technology in nature an intervention?
Since joining CityU, I have focused my research on computational fog projection technology. One summer afternoon I was sitting in my office with a cup of tea. As a shaft of light came through the window, I suddenly noticed the interplay between the steam from the tea and the rays of the sun, which created a poetic visual experience. I began to think of how to present moving images in mid-air, which could even be touched. Setting the theme of dancing for my artwork, I started to shoot a dancer. Using a depth sensor and programming techniques, I could successfully present an artist dancing in mid-air amid the fog and interactive virtual fluid effects.
Titled Interplay 2.0, this work explores the interaction between the physical (fog) and computational (simulation) fluid systems. When showcased at exhibitions, it encourages the audience to think and discuss how this can be done. What I try to achieve in my work is something that can evoke a sense of wonder. I like to encourage the audience to think, and I present puzzles for them.
Two teams of students from CityU won the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019 for innovative projects that aim to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Their inventions were developed through the TEDY programme. As a scientist, I like to inspire students to integrate science with the humanities, and use innovative technology to present creative ideas and help the needy. As part of my responsibility for coordinating the community programme Technologies for the Elderly and Disabled people by Youths (TEDY) under the Jockey Club Enhancing Youth Empathy Project through Immersive Visualisation, I have connected students to various communities and non-profit-making organisations to help them understand the needs of people with disabilities and develop useful tools for them.
By applying virtual reality technology and collaborating with the Hospital Authority, a group of students have enabled new users to practise driving an electric wheelchair more safely. Another group of students created TalkTag – an audio labeller for visually impaired persons that is used to identify everyday objects and that helps them to live more independently. Creativity does not necessarily have to start from zero. I hope that students can use technology to create meaningful works.
Dr Lam’s recent artwork Impression Machine. I am the programme leader for the Bachelor of Arts and Science in New Media in CityU’s School of Creative Media. The programme emphasises strong transdisciplinarity and invites students to take an unorthodox look at traditional art media. We encourage students to draw on concepts and methods from the sciences in their creative projects, develop new tools for artistic embodiment, and communicate scientific ideas to the general public.