Encountering the Unseen, a LASER talk with Morgan Barnard and Mira Burack

SciArt Santa Fe hosts a LASER (Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous) conversation, “Encountering the Unseen,” with Morgan Barnard and Mira Burack that delves into uncharted territories of consciousness, perception, and our relationship to the environment through art. The artists will discuss their immersive installations – Reflection Point by Morgan Barnard and Sacred Bouquet by Mira Burack – and have a conversation about the process of creating these site-responsive, sensorial projects.

In Reflection Point, Morgan Barnard incorporates real-time weather data and generative animation to create an immersive light installation. On the eve of the solstice, the mechanical aperture within the piece will be open for the longest duration during the longest night of the year. As the elements outside shift and change, a generative data driven animation is projected on a sculptural reflective cloud form. The reflections are cast onto the exterior of the Window Box gallery at the Vladem Contemporary. An emergent display of color, light and movement creates a space for contemplation and a reminder that we all encounter the weather as a shared experience.

In Sacred Bouquet, a four-channel video installation and sound bath, Mira Burack captures a communal ceremony on a long, rocky dirt road in the foothills of the Ortiz mountains in Cerrillos, New Mexico. The homemade ceremony is a plant and people gathering, a movement meditation, and a contemporary interpretation of the Jewish tradition on the holiday of Sukkot of the four species, the arba’a minim. It honors the nurturing, resilient high desert plants, the land where the artist lives, and the people who carry us through intense, challenging and reflective times. Sacred Bouquet was generously commissioned by Bridge Projects in Los Angeles for the We are all guests here. exhibition and recently shown at form & concept gallery in Santa Fe.

This in-person LASER event, organized by SciArt Santa Fe in collaboration with Vladem Contemporary and Leonardo/ISAST, connects scholars, artists, scientists, and thinkers for thought-provoking discussions on interdisciplinary work.