Curious Scientific Americans Go To The Movies

On Thursday April 15 a crowd of curious scientists, artists and people generally curious about the New Media Curious Experimental Moving Images Festival gathered at Axiom.

They came to watch Volume 6 of Astrodime Transit Authority’s INtransit Scientific American/La America Científica .This curated video journal looks at the history and representation of “American” science within and without the United States, using as a metaphorical framework, the magazine Scientific American. It begins by exploring the magazine’s history and uses this as a metaphor to examine the concept behind the “Scientific American” from cultural, regional, global, and historical perspectives. It also explores the idea of “invention” and “innovation” in the United States from multiple historical points of view.

The edgy, energetic,  documentary portions of the program included field interviews with Cape Cod Ecologists about frog populations, and the exploration of a historic meteorological facility in Bogotá‎ Colombia. Evocative experimental video and animation work emerged between documentary segments. Twist of Fate by Karen Aqua used expressive drawings of microscopic biological processes to illustrate a battle with cancer. And Maria Papí’s AliciaS en la Madriguerra Part 1 was  a metaphoric short showing a young woman trapped behind volumes of text books.

The AstroDime Transit Authority is a Think-Tank and public service organization that considers issues of transportation, communication and world and intergalactic citizenship. They are specifically interested in issues of race, class, gender and culture as reflected in art and technoscience. Get more info about AstroDime Transit Authority projects, including info about the upcoming screening of La America Científica in Mexico City!

The event was part of the New Media Curious Experimental Moving Images Festival, taking place every Thursday in April at Axiom Center for New and Experimental Media. Join us Thursday April 22 for Experimental Moving Images from the ATNE Community and Thursday April 29 for 60×60x60 What if? (and for the Festival Party! ).