EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Leah Talatinian
Senior Officer for Marketing and Communications
An Unlikely Artist When Iris Yuting Zeng, M.Arch ’24 was in primary school, her teacher told her she didn’t have a gift for drawing. “She told me my drawings were too abstract,” says Zeng, whose charcoal-on-paper drawings are on view … Continued
A partnership between ACT and MIT.nano, the class “Creating Art, Thinking Science” asks what it really takes to cultivate dialogue between disciplines MIT has a rich history of productive collaboration between the arts and the sciences, anchored by the … Continued
A piano that captures the data of live performance offers the MIT community new possibilities for studying and experimenting with music Seated at the grand piano in MIT’s Killian Hall on a recent October afternoon, Jacqueline Wang ’27 played through … Continued
“I love reading science fiction,” says Nigel Shen, a first-year graduate student in Computational Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. “But the science fiction I love the best is written by people who have a firm grasp on science. That … Continued
Albert Figurt’s residency at MIT CAST has involved Grammy-winning rappers, guerrilla filmmaking, and generating some vapor-rich STEAM from STEM students Cambridge, MA—“Is it possible to make a film without cameras, or to develop a story without sounds?” Albert Figurt … Continued
A CAST Visiting Artist project traces the history of cause and effect that have led India to its current crossroads. Abhijit Banerjee, Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics, and CAST Visiting Artist Sarnath Banerjee (no relation) share a similar … Continued
Kathryn Wysocki Gunsch, the museum’s deputy director, will serve as interim director until Gorman takes up his post this summer. MIT has appointed Michael John Gorman the Mark R. Epstein (Class of 1963) Director of the recently re-imagined MIT … Continued
A new facility under construction will feature rehearsal and performance spaces, a recording studio, classrooms, and music technology laboratories. More than 1500 students enroll in music classes each year at MIT. More than 500 student musicians participate in one of … Continued
An exhibit marking the culmination of Gonzalez’s work at MIT demonstrated the potential for microbes and minerals to generate sustainable building materials Laura Maria Gonzalez (SMArchS ’22) came to the Department of Architecture at MIT with a big question about … Continued
An MIT panel charts how art and design will be impacted by Artificial Intelligence Few technologies have shown as much potential to shape our future as artificial intelligence. Specialists in fields ranging from medicine to microfinance to the military are … Continued
A new exhibition at MIT Wiesner Student Art Gallery explores the practicalities and play of architectural aging The average lifespan of a house in the United States is between 50 and 63 years, from construction to demolition. For Lauren … Continued
Student Voices: Arts on the Radar By Jessica Kim, MIT undergraduate A Friday night party like no other, MIT’s “Arts on the Radar” lit up the Wiesner Building (E15) with a dazzling display of creativity. More than 600 arts … Continued
The iconic sci-fi opera VALIS reboots for a new generation In the mid-eighties, composer Tod Machover came across a copy of Philip K. Dick’s science fiction novel VALIS in a Parisian bookstore. Based on a mystical vision Dick called … Continued
In 1945, towards the end of World War II, Germany’s ten most accomplished scientists were taken captive by the allies and confined to Farm Hall, a villa in the English countryside outside of Cambridge, UK. The group included three Nobel … Continued
“Making Art for Scientists: Materials, Processes, and Information Relay” Hannah Munguia Flores is a third-year student at MIT working on a double master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and Technology and Policy. On most days she studies the carbon cycle, and … Continued
TeleAbsence by the Tangible Media research group Since the invention of the telegraph, humans have been able to communicate across great distances in real time. Today, we can choose among myriad technologies—radio, telephone, video conference platforms—to connect with colleagues … Continued
Jaffer Kolb and his collaborators are working to turn architectural waste into shared community infrastructure When Jaffer Kolb, a lecturer in the Department of Architecture at MIT, refers to himself and his collaborators as “garbage people,” he’s talking about the … Continued
A new AI video installation dramatizes the technology’s potential to influence memory, desire, and the perception of history What makes a memory? And how might that memory affect what it is possible for an individual to think, to feel, and … Continued
Through his research at MIT, Vlavianos has sought to understand how people respond to their environments, and how creating digital twins will revolutionize architecture. As a scholar in the field of architecture and computational design, Nikolaos Vlavianos has always been … Continued
Arts, fashion, determination, and community culminate at an event by student-run Infinite Magazine A gallery of art by independent creators, creations from classes on campus, and a runway where MIT models strut, displaying designers’ work, were all showcased at MIT … Continued
Get to Know Kidist Adamu, Cici Mao, Tristan Shin, and Tianyuan (Margaret) Zheng Each year, the Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Student Art Award is presented to four honorees—either students or MIT groups—for exceptional artistic contributions to the Institute community. … Continued
Combining digital technology with the human voice, Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT winner Pamela Z creates layered music from everyday life In the mid-eighties, artist Pamela Z was working at Tower Records on Columbus Street in San … Continued
Theresa Clare McHugh ’23 has always known that music is their greatest passion. A classical soprano, McHugh has been studying voice since the fifth grade, and redoubled their dedication to the craft at MIT. Singing is more than an extraordinary … Continued
The 2023 Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts at MIT recipients: Manar Moursi, Reina Mun, and Karyn Nakamura What happens when technologies fulfill their mission? What happens when they fail, or decay, or when the need for … Continued
The Council for the Arts at MIT provides funding for arts projects that engage the MIT community. The Council’s Grants Committee considers proposals for projects in the fall and spring semesters. Spring 2023 Grants Committee Funding Recipients Eleven projects by MIT students … Continued
