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When individuals ponder MIT, they might initially envision programming, circuitry, and groundbreaking science. However, the institution possesses a rich legacy of intertwining art, science, and technology in surprising and inventive manners — and that’s never been more evident than with the Institute’s recent festival, Artfinity: A Celebration of Creativity and Community at MIT.
Following an open-call invitation to the MIT community in early 2024, the inaugural Artfinity provided an extensive multi-week journey through art and concepts, showcasing over 80 complimentary performing and visual arts events from Feb. 15 to May 2. This included a two-day film festival, interactive augmented reality art displays, an evening at the MIT Museum, a simulated lunar landing, and performances by both student ensembles and globally acclaimed musicians.
“Artfinity was a marvelous celebration of MIT’s creative brilliance, presenting numerous avenues to delve into our vibrant arts culture,” remarks MIT president Sally Kornbluth. “It was delightful to witness community members gathering with family, friends, and neighbors from Cambridge and Boston to enjoy the merriment of music and the arts.”
Among the notable moments were a presentation by Tony-winning scenic designer Es Devlin, a concert by Grammy-winning rapper and visiting scholar Lupe Fiasco, and a series of events marking the launch of the Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building.
Devlin shared art associated with her recent spring residency at MIT as the latest recipient of the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts. Collaborating with MIT faculty, students, and staff, she inspired a site-specific installation named “Face to Face,” where over 100 community members were paired with strangers to sketch each other. Recently, Devlin has concentrated her efforts on nurturing interpersonal connections, similar to her London multimedia exhibition “Congregation,” depicting 50 individuals displaced from their homes and documenting their narratives on video.
Fiasco’s performance on May 2 revolved around a novel undertaking inspired by MIT’s public art collection, crafted this year in partnership with students and faculty as part of his role as a visiting scholar and teaching the class “Rap Theory and Practice.” With support from MIT’s Festival Jazz Ensemble, Fiasco showcased original pieces inspired by renowned campus sculptures, such as Alexander Calder’s La Grande Voile [The Big Sail] and Jaume Plensa’s Alchemist, with members of the MIT Rap Ensemble collaborating on many of the compositions. Several students in the ensemble also led intricate multi-instrument arrangements of some of Fiasco’s most beloved tracks, including “The Show Goes On” and “Kick, Push.”
Artfinity’s program also included a diverse array of concerts celebrating the new Linde Music Building, which boasts the 390-seat Tull Hall, rehearsal space, a recording studio, and a research lab to support a new graduate program in music technology launching this fall. Events featured performances from various student groups, the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, the Boston Chamber Music Society, Sanford Biggers’ group Moonmedicin, and Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist Miguel Zenón, who is an assistant professor of music at MIT.
“Throughout the campus, from our new concert hall to the Great Dome, in gallery venues and classrooms, our community was inspired by the visual and performing arts of the Artfinity festival,” states MIT provost Cynthia Barnhart. “Artfinity has been a remarkable celebration and showcase of the collective creativity and innovative spirit of our community of students, faculty, and staff.”
Several other Artfinity components also utilized MIT’s distinctive architecture, including Creative Lumens and Media Lab professor Behnaz Farahi’s “Gaze to the Stars.” Occurring from March 12–14 and coinciding with the total lunar eclipse, the expansive video projections brightened various campus buildings, transforming the facades of the new Linde Music Building, the MIT Chapel, the Stratton Student Center, the Zesiger Sports & Fitness Center, and even the Great Dome, which Farahi’s team adorned with images of eyes from the MIT community.
Other popular offerings included the MIT Museum’s After Dark series and its Argus Installation, which examined the interaction of light and hand-blown glass. A two-day Bartos Theatre film festival highlighted works by students, staff, and faculty, ranging from short films to 30-minute productions, covering genres such as fiction, nonfiction, animation, and experimental works. The Welcome Center also presented “All Our Relations,” a multimedia tribute to MIT’s Indigenous community through song, dance, and narrative.
An Institute event, Artfinity was organized by the Office of the Arts, led by professor of art, culture, and technology Azra Akšamija and Institute Professor of Music Marcus A. Thompson. Both professors discussed the significance of emphasizing the arts and illustrating a diverse range of programming for future editions of the event.
“Individuals perceive MIT solely as a destination for technology. However, in truth, MIT has consistently attracted students with broad interests and necessitated them to find balance in their academic pursuits with substantial world-class offerings in the humanities, social sciences, and visual and performing arts,” explains Thompson. “We aspire for this festival, Artfinity, to highlight the infinite diversity and quality we have been providing and actually accomplishing in the arts for quite some time.”
Professor of music and theater art Jay Scheib considers the intersection of art and technology as a means for students to explore alternative approaches to various research challenges. “In the realm of the arts, we often view issues from a different perspective… informed by notions of aesthetics, civic dialogue, and experience,” says Scheib. “This outlook can aid students in physics, aerospace design, or artificial intelligence to pose different, yet equally valuable, inquiries.”
An Institute-sponsored campus-wide initiative organized by the Office of the Arts, Artfinity marks MIT’s largest arts festival since its 150th anniversary in 2011. Akšamija, director of MIT’s Art, Culture, and Technology (ACT) program, states that the festival serves not only as a platform for students but also as a chance to engage with and genuinely contribute back to MIT’s surrounding community in Cambridge and the greater Boston area.
“What became clear during the festival’s planning was the abundance and quality of art present at MIT, and how much of that work is at the forefront,” remarks Akšamija. “We aimed to honor the creativity and joy of the brilliant minds on campus [and] to bring delight and beauty to MIT and the adjacent community.”
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