Admission is free and open to the public
Engineering Utopia is an exhibition highlighting the interactions between artists and engineers, particularly focusing on major collaborations happening at The Ohio State University.
Premised on the idea of “utopia” as a place or context consciously built and constructed—engineered— for perfection, but also bound to “fail” or remain hypothetical, unrealized, and imaginary, this exhibition looks to the ways in which the context of art has allowed for makers, artists and engineers alike, to dream greatly and “fail” wildly, all the while making insightful discoveries about our technological environment and the human condition in the information age. At the center of Engineering Utopia are several major art restoration projects attempted by Ohio State and others. As such, the exhibition is a survey of important works of art and engineering, and also the outcome of an educational laboratory project that investigates the mutual influences of art and engineering, and fruitfulness of these struggles. The exhibition features research into the restoration of works by Chris Burden and Ken Goldberg, and artworks by Charles Csuri, Lutz Dammbeck, Isla Hansen, Ken Rinaldo, Lillian Schwartz, Stan VanDerBeek, and Amy Youngs.
Organized by Kris Paulsen with the help and support of David Tomasko, Steven Bibyk, Bob Rhoads, and Valarie Williams.
Engineering Utopia is presented by The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences, the Arts Initiative and Urban Arts Space, and the College of Engineering.
