Artistic Jamboree unfolds at MIT: Artfinity ignites creative spark on campus grounds
The MIT campus was abuzz with artistic energy on March 13 as Artfinity, the Institute's new festival celebrating creativity and community, unfolded across various venues. The festival featured interactive experiences, exhibitions, and performances designed to promote a flowing experience, encouraging visitors to traverse different locations and immerse themselves in a variety of artistic expressions.
Daytime activities included several exhibitions such as "Coloring with Wide Tim" at the Welcome Center, "Golden Cargo: Conquest of the Tropics" at the ACT Gallery, "List Projects 31: Kite" and "Pedro Gómez-Egaña: The Great Learning" at the List Visual Arts Center, and "Mission Control" at the Media Lab. The "Layers of Place" augmented reality experience added a technological twist, offering hidden histories and insights on campus landmarks.
The MIT Museum functioned as a central hub for the evening, hosting the After Dark series, which featured a talk by Behnaz Farahi, the Media Lab's Critical Matter group director and award-winning designer. The museum also showcased faculty works, including Rania Ghosn's "Cosmograph," Azra Akšamija's "Hallucinating Traditions," and other new exhibitions featuring work from the Media Lab. Guests engaged in various interactive activities throughout the museum.
As the evening progressed, the campus transformed with performances and installations. The Media Lab premiered Moving Music with two unique works, "Here...NOW" by Ana Schon and "MAICE" by Tod Machover, featuring renowned marimba player Ji Hye Jung. Large-scale projections illuminated campus buildings, including "Creative Lumens," where students transformed the exterior of the new Linde Music Building, the MIT Chapel, and Zesiger Center with vibrant projections.
Additional evening events included the Argus Installation, showcasing the interplay of light and hand-blown glass at the MIT Museum Studio, speed networking for artists and creatives at the Welcome Center, and the All Our Relations event, where MIT's Indigenous community brought together native and non-native people for song, dance, and story. A film screening at the Open Space Screen gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at Laura Anderson Barbata's "Intervention: Ocean Blues."
Over 1,000 people attended the events on campus that evening, with many more catching a glimpse of the large-scale art projections as they passed by. Artfinity continues until May 2, featuring over 80 free performing and visual arts events celebrating creativity and community at MIT.
- The campus' bustling atmosphere on March 13 was fueled by Artfinity, MIT's fresh festival promoting art, creativity, and community.
- The festival NC movements across multiple venues, including the Welcome Center, ACT Gallery, List Visual Arts Center, and Media Lab.
- The List Visual Arts Center exhibits, such as "List Projects 31: Kite" and "Pedro Gómez-Egaña: The Great Learning," were among the daytime activities.
- The Media Lab's "Layers of Place" augmented reality experience provided a tech-savvy twist, offering insights into campus landmarks.
- In the evening, the MIT Museum became a hub for interactions and presentations, like Behnaz Farahi's talk and various student-created projections.
- The Media Lab's Moving Music premiered unique compositions by Ana Schon and Tod Machover, featuring marimba player Ji Hye Jung.
- Additional events, like the All Our Relations gathering and the Argus Installation, highlighted the interplay of light, glass, native culture, and storytelling.
- Parents, students, faculties, and the media, interested in fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, travel, cars, and other lifestyles, flocked to these events, with many expressing their excitement on the press.
