[Sigia-l] Truth, beauty, and code

[Betsy Martens]

I just got word through another list of this intriguing art show that's
having its opening on July 12. The Web site for the exhibit refers
repeatedly to the work of Christopher Alexander and A Pattern Language,
though it's difficult to tell just how well it does this simply from looking
at the site. Here's the URL:

http://www.andreapolli.com/beaute(code)/

I would encourage Chicago-based IAs to check out the exhibit, if not at the
opening then definitely at some point during the three weeks that it's
showing. For any out-of-town IAs that might be passing through: Artemisia is
an alternative art space with a track record for mounting unusual and
challenging shows.

Betsy
.......................................
   Betsy Martens
   Big Shoulders Information Design
   bigshoulders at mindspring.com

   Content & the space it occupies
.......................................


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JULY 2002 EXHIBITION


BEAUT.E (CODE)
Decoding the art of computer programming

http://www.andreapolli.com/beaute(code)/


Artemisia Gallery
700 North Carpenter
Chicago, IL  60622
312 226-7323
312 226-7756 fax
www.artemisia.org
info at artemisia.org

Dates: July 5-27, 2002
Opening Reception: Friday, July 12, 2002, 5 pm - 8 pm
Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 am - 5 pm

This exhibition, the result of a collaboration between book and installation
artist Karen Hanmer, digital media artist Andrea Polli, and software systems
architect Robert Hanmer  asks and attempts to find answers to the question:
What are aesthetic values in contemporary computer programming and how they
are similar to (or different from) aesthetic values in art?

The exhibition is the result of two years of research including: the study
of the most influential authors on the art of computer programming (Donald
Knuth, Christopher Alexander,  Brian Kernighan and Jon Bentley, for
example), group interviews at computer programming conferences, and written
questionnaires completed by computer professionals. Karen Hanmer instigated
this project out of a desire to find a point of entry into her husband
Robert Hanmer's world of programming, and to find a way to convey the
aesthetic nature of coding to other non-technical people. Robert's interest
in the project came not only from a desire to communicate the beauty of
programming, but also to illustrate 'good' coding practice and structures
versus 'bad' coding to programmers, non-programmers, and programmers of the
future. Andrea Polli was naturally drawn to this project because at a young
age, her computer scientist father conveyed to her the beauty and elegance
of mathematical proofs, a kind of conceptual beauty she strives for in her
own work.

The exhibition includes quotes from the interviews, representations of
artifacts from the history of programming, and illustrations of programming
structures and processes in print and interactive format.


Karen Hanmer
karenh at enteract.com
http://www.enteract.com/~karenh