Leonardo had no regard for the boundaries between art, science and engineering. He was as much at ease painting a mysterious smile as he was designing bridges or studying anatomy and fluid dynamics.
In 2021, The Da Vinci Labs launched a Leonardo Rebooted! grant to support the production of two new digital artworks in two categories: Synthetic Biology and AI/Quantum. In February 2022, juries for AI/Quantum Computing & Synthetic Biology categories selected two winners:
AI/Quantum
In the AI/Quantum category, the winning proposal was authored by Shawn Lawson , an Associate Professor and Animation Area Coordinator at Arizona State University. In his project, titled “XAI: Living Guts ”, he aims to create and reveal the inner workings of AI & Machine Learning from a visual arts standpoint, using explainable AI (XAI) technology to foster trust and make it more accessible.
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In the Synthetic Biology category, the winning proposal was authored by Noémie Soula , an emerging French artist-designer based in the UK. In her project, titled “Mythical Living Data: An Inquiry into the Future of DNA as Data Storage ”, Noémie investigates how the creation of chimaeras with natural and artificial, data-based DNA could provide a storage solution and collect live data from the environment through genetic mutations. Through storytelling and narration, this project provides tools to engage in bioethical debates.
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