my unrealized project is an extra-scientific contribution to the GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY in physics.
DISCOVERY of the GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY, or CHOOSE DETERMINISM, the Unrealized Project of Alyce Santoro
Physicists are working around the clock to figure out how it is possible that large objects (such as planets, tables, tacos) that obey the tidy laws of “classical” physics (gravitation, conservation of mass/energy) can be composed of infinitesimally tiny and mysterious entities that behave according to strange and separate principles. The discovery of a GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY would show us how it is possible that big things can ultimately be made up of entirely different, much smaller things.
I find this challenge fascinating from a conceptual/philosophical/artistic standpoint, and believe that the discovery of a GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY in science may have profound sociological repercussions. As an artist engaged in social practice I am inspired by what I see as a direct relationship between the classical/quantum physics dilemma and determinism/free will: determinism corresponds with the laws that large objects obey (the domain of the conscious mind), and free will relates to the domain of the intangible, such as thoughts and emotions – quantum phenomena (the domain of the subconscious mind). An age-old philosophical debate contends that free will and determinism cannot exist simultaneously – the universe can only behave like clockwork OR chaos, but not a little of each. However, the unpredictable behavior of the subatomic particles of which our seemingly solid reality is composed is evidence that paradoxes can and do coexist. If a UNIFICATION THEORY is unambiguously demonstrated in physics, the result may imply that everything – even our own thoughts, impulses, and emotions - are made up of far more tangible, malleable, and powerful stuff than we ever imagined. If we truly understood the power of these invisible forces, would we learn to wield them with greater care and responsibility?
I refer to most of my works as PHILOSOPROPS, tools for starting discussions about philosophical or scientific concepts. At their core, every one of the PHILOSOPROPS alludes to the idea that everything is ultimately connected - sound, light, matter, cultures, disciplines. As a scientist-turned-scientific-illustrator-turned-conceptual-artist, I feel in many ways that my career has been devoted to developing a kind of extra-scientific supplement to the GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY that could none-the-less be of use to scientists – either by connecting some unconnected dots, sparking dialog, creating a tool, or providing insight, commentary, or documentation that could serve as a catalyst. My CHOOSE DETERMINISM project is one such example. Consisting of a questionnaire and set of dice with three dots on every face, the piece is an invitation to engage in a debate, and to directly experience a paradox – the viewer may choose to participate in the act of rolling, but the dice will always come up on the same number. I have also created an edition of booklet covers hand letterpressed in gold ink with the title THE GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY awaiting appropriate content with which to fill them. This is my as-yet-unrealized project.
my unrealized project is an extra-scientific contribution to the GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY in physics.
DISCOVERY of the GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY, or CHOOSE DETERMINISM, the Unrealized Project of Alyce Santoro
Physicists are working around the clock to figure out how it is possible that large objects (such as planets, tables, tacos) that obey the tidy laws of “classical” physics (gravitation, conservation of mass/energy) can be composed of infinitesimally tiny and mysterious entities that behave according to strange and separate principles. The discovery of a GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY would show us how it is possible that big things can ultimately be made up of entirely different, much smaller things.
I find this challenge fascinating from a conceptual/philosophical/artistic standpoint, and believe that the discovery of a GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY in science may have profound sociological repercussions. As an artist engaged in social practice I am inspired by what I see as a direct relationship between the classical/quantum physics dilemma and determinism/free will: determinism corresponds with the laws that large objects obey (the domain of the conscious mind), and free will relates to the domain of the intangible, such as thoughts and emotions – quantum phenomena (the domain of the subconscious mind). An age-old philosophical debate contends that free will and determinism cannot exist simultaneously – the universe can only behave like clockwork OR chaos, but not a little of each. However, the unpredictable behavior of the subatomic particles of which our seemingly solid reality is composed is evidence that paradoxes can and do coexist. If a UNIFICATION THEORY is unambiguously demonstrated in physics, the result may imply that everything – even our own thoughts, impulses, and emotions - are made up of far more tangible, malleable, and powerful stuff than we ever imagined. If we truly understood the power of these invisible forces, would we learn to wield them with greater care and responsibility?
I refer to most of my works as PHILOSOPROPS, tools for starting discussions about philosophical or scientific concepts. At their core, every one of the PHILOSOPROPS alludes to the idea that everything is ultimately connected - sound, light, matter, cultures, disciplines. As a scientist-turned-scientific-illustrator-turned-conceptual-artist, I feel in many ways that my career has been devoted to developing a kind of extra-scientific supplement to the GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY that could none-the-less be of use to scientists – either by connecting some unconnected dots, sparking dialog, creating a tool, or providing insight, commentary, or documentation that could serve as a catalyst. My CHOOSE DETERMINISM project is one such example. Consisting of a questionnaire and set of dice with three dots on every face, the piece is an invitation to engage in a debate, and to directly experience a paradox – the viewer may choose to participate in the act of rolling, but the dice will always come up on the same number. I have also created an edition of booklet covers hand letterpressed in gold ink with the title THE GRAND UNIFICATION THEORY awaiting appropriate content with which to fill them. This is my as-yet-unrealized project.