Aurinko and selene: Conceptual influences of computation in culture and science through the lens of Finnish genetic study
Loading...
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
Location:
Unless otherwise stated, all rights belong to the author. You may download, display and print this publication for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Author
Date
2023
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
new_media
Language
en
Pages
83
Series
Abstract
The paradigmatic role of computational technologies in culture and science oftentimes renders natural phenomena as well as human action, interaction and introspection as forms of computation. The inaccurate yet foundational character of those interpretations has been addressed by individuals in numerous fields. This thesis aims to identify those diffused voices and assemble them in a systematic analysis. This is done in order to point out what is overstated, forgotten or taken for granted in science and culture shaped by computation, and convey and develop conceptual alternatives using artistic means. A field particularly influenced by computational discourse is genetics. This thesis was done in collaboration with genomic and medicine research project Finngen which focuses on developing new medical approaches based on the Finnish genetic and health data. The genetic homogeneity and uniqueness of Finnish people, which facilitates the study, is known to be determined by an evolutionary process. A reflection on the computational interpretations of evolution and, consequently, genetics was the motivation and one of the focus points of this work. Thus the concept of computation was defined and the relevant historical and intellectual influences identified. Subsequently, the data from the literature review as well as empirical and personal investigations were analyzed through a framework of theoretical inquiry based on four general effects of a human artifact on its environment – enhancement, obsolescence, retrieval and reversal. The influences found in culture and science more generally were then discussed with regards to the field of genetics specifically. As a result, the pervasiveness of the mind-body and related dichotomies were found to be at the foundation of scientific and technological representations. These in turn shape our understanding of natural phenomena, from genetics to cognition, which can result in superficial and dualistic interpretations. The imposition of alphanumeric translation of the sites of human practice frames derogatively those which are not amenable to being codified as irrational and unintelligent. The equivalence of non-computational phenomena and their computational representations was questioned, identifying the circular reasoning in interpreting phenomena as representations and, hence, representations as phenomena. The conclusions were embedded in the production of a short experimental animation “Aurinko and Selene”. The basis of genetic traits formed the plot and the main conflict between the characters. The language and findings of the theoretical analysis guided the visual language and the poetic narration. This way, the artistic production imagines what could be non-computational and performative in pointing out its contrast with the computational and representative. Further work on putting the animation in the context of an artistic exhibition will enable better articulation of the underlying genetic phenomenon and its relevance to the Finngen research.Description
Supervisor
Vyas, RupeshThesis advisor
Cerioli, NicolaKeywords
laws of media, enhancement, obsolescence, retrieval, reversal, computation, animation, information visualization
Other note
Media files notes:
Short animation "Aurinko and Selene"
Description:
Two children, Aurinko (fi. sun) and Selene (gr. moon), have a mythical argument springing from the differences in their genome.
