MMoCA Newsletter - Winter 2024

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
imaginary i
Main Galleries • On view through April 7, 2024
imaginary i takes its title from the mathematical
concept of solving for i. While Ren é
Descartes called these numbers “imaginary,”
they are real, defined as complex, and vital
for quantum physics and mechanics, mapping
space and time, and calculating sound waves
and frequencies. Through formulas and art,
mathematicians and artists trace the boundaries
of the imperceptible.
Pairing works from the permanent collection
with select loaned and commissioned pieces,
the exhibition highlights the historic trajectory
of not only the Museum, but also contemporary
art. Rudolph Langer, creator of the mathematical
principle the Langer Correction, donated
over 1,000 works in 1968, which became the
foundation of MMoCA’s collection. Deeply connected
to mathematicians, scientists, and innovators,
later additions of artwork were made
possible by physicist Willy Haeberli, computer
RELATED EVENTS
scientist and logician Ann Harris Yasuhara,
and mathematician Mitsuru Yasuhara, among
others.
Visitors are encouraged to explore the thematic
sections and immersive environments—each
drawn from the functionality of i —to experience
the connections between visual art and
data visualization.
Major sponsorship for imaginary i is provided
by Robert Lehman Foundation, Inc. Generous
support for exhibition programming is provided
by the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds
from the State of Wisconsin and the National
Endowment for the Arts. Additional support
has been provided by Dane Arts with additional
funds from the Endres Mfg. Company
Foundation, the Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable
arm of the Capital Times, the W. Jerome
Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T.
Rowland Foundation.
Chasing the Stars: Women Computers at Washburn Observatory
Sunday, February 11 • 2 PM • Lecture Hall • Free admission
Erika Blumenfeld’s Tracing Luminaries series takes inspiration from the “Harvard Computers,” a
group of women in the late 1800s who were prevented from participating in traditional academia.
Through their study and cataloging of thousands of stars and other astronomical phenomena, they
revolutionized the science of astronomy and astrophysics.
In honor of International Women in STEM Day, James Lattis and Kelly Tyrrell will give a presentation
on the early days of astronomy studies in Wisconsin, emphasizing the role of female astronomers
and their contributions to astronomic research.
Artist Talk: Martha Glowacki on
Starry Transit
Saturday, February 24 • 2 PM • Lecture
Hall • Free admission
Originally installed at the historic Washburn
Observatory as part of a collaborative project
between MMoCA and the UW-Madison
Department of Astronomy in 2005, Starry
Transit draws on historical scientific objects
and manuscripts to explore the mysteries
of nighttime bird migration and humanity’s
relationship with the stars. In this artist talk,
Martha Glowacki will speak about the “contemporary
cabinet of curiosity” included in imaginary
i placing it in context with its original
installation.
In addition to her artistic practice, Glowacki is
an independent curator and former Director of
the James Watrous Gallery at the Wisconsin
Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
Artist Talk: Art, Computing, and
AI: How the Proverbial Sausage
is Made and Why You Should
Worry about the Proverbial
Sausage Making Process
Saturday, March 2 • 2 PM • Lecture Hall
Free admission
Blessed is the Machine is a self-aware computational
system, alive with data yet critical of
the very activities in which it is engaged. The
project features an “AI avatar” which makes
inferences about visitors’ emotions and recommends
products to them, all while describing
what’s happening in the background. But can
you trust what it is telling you about itself? Is it
really AI? How would we even know, and why
does that matter?
This talk, given by artists Zach Kaiser and
Gabi Schaffzin, will use the process of producing
Blessed is the Machine as a lens through
which to examine the development of AI systems,
the assumptions of both hype-builders
and hand-wringers, and the dangerous consequences
of discourse that does not address the
history and political-economy of computing
itself.
Madison New Music Ensemble
Concert
Saturday, March 9 • 6 PM
Main Galleries • Free admission
inspired by the intersection of music and scientific
concepts, featuring five works written in
the 21st Century by living American composers.
The concert will take place in the museum’s
Main Galleries, emphasizing the connection
between scientists, artists, and composers as
they explore and seek out musical patterns, formulas,
time-keeping, and other mathematical
concepts.
The Madison New Music Ensemble is dedicated
to the performance of current compositions
by contemporary composers whose works are
related to the tradition of “written-out music”
(concert music) which has been a mainstay of
Western musical culture for many years. The
six-member ensemble, led by Artistic Director
Joseph Koykkar, is comprised of local professional
musicians, many of whom perform regularly
with Madison orchestras and chamber
music groups.
Yoga in the Galleries
Saturday, March 23 • 11 AM
Main Galleries • Free Admission
Skye Moss, founder of Adhikara Yoga, will lead
a yoga class in the museum’s Main Galleries
inspired by the installation impossible red by
Anne Lindberg. Suitable for all skill levels, it
is an opportunity to experience the restorative
power of yoga surrounded by the exhibition
imaginary i. A Madison native, Moss
has taught practitioners of all ages while at
UW-Milwaukee, through MSCR, at the Lussier
Community Center, and virtually.
Space is limited for this free class. Visit mmoca.
org/yoga for more information and to register.
Artist Talk: Erika Blumenfeld
Thursday, April 4 • 6 PM
Streaming Free on YouTube
Erika Blumenfeld is a cross-disciplinary artist,
researcher, and writer who seeks engagement
across the arts, sciences, and humanities. In
this virtual presentation, Blumenfeld will give
an overview of her artistic practice and her collaborations
with scientists and research institutions,
including NASA, the Scripps Institution
of Oceanography, the McDonald Observatory,
and the South African National Antarctic
Program. She will also discuss her time working
with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics, which inspired the print series
Tracing Luminaries, on display in imaginary i.
Jim Lattis manages the historic Washburn Observatory and is the Director of UW Space Place, the
This virtual presentation will be streamed
outreach and public education center of the UW-Madison Astronomy Department. Kelly Tyrell is
The Madison New Music Ensemble presents via YouTube at youtube.com/@
a science writer who oversees media relations for UW-Madison and serves as engagement editor
a concert of contemporary classical music MadisonMuseumOfContemporaryArt
for the science journalism nonprofit, The Open Notebook. Their book, Chasing the Stars: How the
Astronomers of Observatory Hill Transformed Our Understanding of the Universe will be released
COVER: Erika Blumenfeld, Plate No. I6914 (Small Magellanic Cloud) (detail), 2022. Cyanotype, chine colle, and 24k gold leaf on
Hahnemuhle Copperplate, 17 x 14 3/4 inches. Courtesy of the Artist and Inman Gallery Houston. PAGE 2: Anne Lindberg, impossible red,
in May 2024.
2023. Cotton thread and staples, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the Artist. Photo courtesy of Derek Porter
2 3