Interface: Interactive Art at Student Innovation Center
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AMES IOWA – August 27, 2021 – The Student Innovation Center is ready for Iowa State University students, faculty, staff, and the community to interact with Interface, the new public work of art installed over the summer.
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Artist Catherine Widgery worked with a committee from the Student Innovation Center and University Museums to come up with a concept that would integrate with and complement both the architecture and mission of the Student Innovation Center. Interface is one work of art in multiple locations.
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Ingrid Lilligren, Professor of Art and Visual Culture in the College of Design, was the committee chair. "The committee was excited by the vision and scope of Widgery’s proposal," Lilligren told University Museums. "We appreciated her plan for engaging viewers with the work, from the dichroic pleated glass entrances to the anemometer-driven LED array of information on the courtyard screens. Interface creates opportunities for wonder and appreciation of our collective intelligence."
In an interview with University Museums, Widgery said, "The idea is that when people came to this building, they were transformed going through this space, or they felt a sense of disorientation, a shift in how they see themselves, how they see the world.”
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To enter the building, one passes through vestibules lined with colorful pleated dichroic glass that reflects, refracts, and creates illusions. The interior courtyard, located on the second floor, contains a series of suspended copper panels cut in a chevron pattern. LED lights embedded in these panels are linked via computer software to an anemometer mounted on the building roof. The lights dim and brighten sequentially in real-time as the wind speed and direction are sent to the public work of art. |
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When asked about her intent, Widgery said, “When I create art it’s always about experience. It’s not about being an object that’s observed, it’s about interaction with the work. You’re underneath it, you see from all kinds of angles, you’re looking down on it, you’re walking through it. I think our physical connection to our environment has been dulled. I wanted it to be a little be more alive and active.” |
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The Student Innovation Center aims to inspire students, faculty, and staff to innovate through experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the free exchange of ideas in an inclusive environment. Widgery did all of this in creating Interface. “This was a new technology for me and I’m dependent on an incredible team. I had the idea, but they had to make it happen through their expertise and creativity,” said Widgery. Lilligren added, "The technology is cutting edge and the beauty is of the highest order."
On Thursday, September 2 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., a University Museums event called Student Innovation Center at Twilight will give visitors the opportunity to experience Interface. Pizza, refreshments, and making a letterpress print inspired by the installation are all part of the free event, which is open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required at the University Museums website museums.iastate.edu.
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Images: Interface, 2021 by Catherine Widgery. Dichroic glass, copper screen panels, LED lights, anemometer. Iowa Art in State Buildings project for the Student Innovation Center. Commissioned by the University Museums and the Student Innovation Center. In the Art on Campus Collection, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. Chris Gannon, photographer.
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About University Museums
University Museums is a distinctive organization that encompasses two art museums, a National Historic Landmark and a historic home museum, a sculpture garden, and one of the largest campus public art collections in the nation. University Museums brings world-class exhibitions with educational programming to Iowa State University, actively acquires works of art to add to the more than 30,000 permanent collection objects, conserves and preserves collections, conducts and publishes curatorial scholarship, and fosters student engagement.
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About Student Innovation Center
Iowa State University’s Student Innovation Center is designed with innovators in mind. It is the nexus on campus that inspires students, faculty, and staff to innovate through experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the free exchange of ideas in an inclusive environment. It facilitates the process of shaping ideas to taking action and making an impact.
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About Catherine Widgery
Catherine Widgery’s practice of creating site-specific art works for the public realm spans over 30 years. She has built her career around making public art because she is inspired by the richness of new places and meeting the people who will live with the artwork. Catherine Widgery and her team have created more than 40 site-specific public art projects across the US and Canada. Her particular interest and strength is working with communities and teams to create environmental sculptural experiences that respond to the unique spirit, shape and function of a place.
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Media Information
To schedule interviews, photograph events, or request high-resolution images:
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