The symposium is the first activity of “Build Your Own World,” the 3rd 01SJ Biennial, where over 100 art installations, commissioned works, exhibitions, workshops, musical performances, a nighttime street fair, a green prix of eco-locomotion and an epicurean multi-media dinner converge into a 4-day kaleidoscope of contemporary art and culture at the epicenter of the high-technology revolution.
Illuminating LEONARDO’s mission—to confront the critical challenges of the 21st century by creating opportunities for the powerful exchange of ideas among practitioners of art, science and technology—GLOBAL WARNING encourages conversations among scientists, artists and policy-makers grappling with some of the key environmental issues of our time.

GLOBAL WARNING: Artists, Scientists and Environmental Activism
16-17 September 2010
San José City Council Chambers, San José City Hall
200 East Santa Clara Street, San José , CA 95113
Held in conjunction with the 2010 01SJ Biennial, 16-19 September 2010

Organized by ZER01: The Art and Technology Network, City of San Jose Public Art Program, CADRE Laboratory for New Media at San Jose State University and LEONARDO/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology, with additional support from Montalvo Arts Center.

Seating is  limited! To purchase tickets, and for more information about the schedule, speakers and topics, please visit http://01sj.org/programs/symposium/

INTRODUCTION
Our blue planet, spinning like a jewel in our solar system, has been perceptually defined by the technology of each era, from believing the Earth was flat, to the scientific understanding that it spins on its axis and has gravitational pull, to being part of just one of many solar systems. In terms of scale, humans are too small to viscerally comprehend our planet’s magnitude and the dynamics of its interconnected physical systems. We therefore break the concepts down into smaller parts, collect data and physical specimens of all kinds, and invent instruments to measure and track physical phenomena like earthquakes, tornados, and hurricanes. However, we still cannot grasp the “big picture” of planet Earth unless we read, look at photos, and finally… use our imagination to construct it!

For Digital’2010, ASCI invites artists and scientists to submit digital prints that reflect their perceptions of our planet. Are these perceptions changing as we learn more about Earth from explorers, scientists, and artists? What is the relationship between all living things and planet Earth? What images are evoked by calling it the blue planet or the peaceful planet or the changing planet?  What is the human impact on the whole planet? What is our concern for its future?

Art co-juror, Maddy Rosenberg, is a printmaker, independent curator, and owner/director of Central Booking in DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY. Opened in 2009, one of her two gallery spaces and its programming is devoted to shows of science-inspired artwork.

Science co-juror, Patrick Hamilton, is the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Director, Environmental Sciences and Earth-System Science. He is currently heading-up the Future Earth Initiative, an NSF-supported set of exhibits and programs that explores the implications of human impact on the Earth.

The vision of climate change provided by the arts complements the analytical information given by the science. The landscape of numbers can be populated by dreams in the form of images, dance or music, leading to a more complete understanding of how our planet works. Join The Earth Institute, Columbia University; the Segal Center; and artists, scientists, and communication experts working across multiple disciplines in an inspirational, informative program to explore present and future connections between the arts and climate change science. In honor of Earth Day. Co-curated by Lisa Phillips.

Afternoon session at 3:00 p.m. will feature:

Gavin Schmidt, climatologist, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Stephen Pekar, geologist, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, City University of New York

Britta Riley, artist, entrepreneur

Jeremy Pickard, theatre artist

Moderated by Sabine Marx, Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, Columbia University.

Evening session at 6:30 p.m. will feature:

Klaus Lackner, geophysicist, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University

Katie Holten, visual artist

Ajit Subramaniam, biological oceanographer, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University

Cynthia Hopkins, performing artist

Jon Braman, rapper-songwriter

Moderated by Lisa Phillips, Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy, The Earth Institute, Columbia University