There is a revolution going on in the world of art, a new avant garde pushing the boundaries farther than ever before. Art, science and technology are merging to form a Third Culture. Professor Arthur Miller (University College London) calls this exciting new art movement ‘artsci’. Its denizens are artist, scientist and technologist rolled into one. But today this goes dramatically further because computers are playing an increasingly important role in producing art and music. The question naturally arises: Can Computers Be Creative?

In his talk he will explore this brave new world. What are some of the many sorts of art that spring from the interplay between art, science, computers and algorithms? How did this interaction begin and where is it going in the 21st century? How are concepts such as art and aesthetics being redefined? Are there similarities between the creative processes of artists and scientists and if so, what? Professor Miller discuss these questions and more.

Arthur I. Miller is fascinated by the nature of creative thinking – in art on the one hand and science on the other. What are the similarities, what are the differences? He has published many critically acclaimed books, including Insights of Genius, Einstein, Picasso, Empire of the Stars and 137, and writes for the Guardian and The New York Times. An experienced broadcaster and lecturer, he has curated exhibitions on art/science and writes engagingly about complex social and intellectual dramas, weaving the personal with the scientific to produce thoroughly-researched works that read like novels. He is professor emeritus of history and philosophy of science at University College London. His book Colliding Worlds: How Cutting-Edge Science is Redefining Contemporary Art (W.W. Norton) tells the story of how art, science and technology are fusing in the twenty-first century. To research it he interviewed leading figures in the world of contemporary science-influenced art and has spent time and lectured at CERN, the MIT Media Lab, Le Laboratoire, the School of Visual Arts and Ars Electronica. In 2013 he was a juror for the Prix Ars Electronica for Hybrid Art.

Contact richard.howells@kcl.ac.uk