Panel Discussion: "Grasping Infinity"

The ancient Greeks are the first culture credited with recognizing the concept of infinity, although they were not appreciative of its potentialities. To be without limits was not a desirable state. It lacked the order and perfection the Greeks valued. Arab and Persian cultures were more comfortable with irrational numbers, and as a result, they made numerous advancements in mathematics, particularly algebra, that have present day applications. However, the concept of infinity has many functions and definitions spanning a variety of fields of study including philosophy, theology, physics, astronomy, mathematics and the visual arts a. This panel discussion will bring together scholars from different disciplines to discuss and understand the concept of infinity from variety of frameworks. The panel discussion will feature:

JESSICA ANGEL: is an artist whose work is architectonic in nature. She takes over interior spaces to explore the possibilities of visual illusion and perspective. Her immersive environments are landscapes inspired by structures found in computing, urban environments and astronomy. Her interdisciplinary practice is predicated on the belief that complex patterns and information lie at the core of everything we perceive.

JACLYN AVIDON: is a member of the Board of Directors of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, the Chair of the Association’s Education Committee, and an instructor for the Association’s classes. Jaclyn graduated with honors from Lafayette College with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and a minor in Mathematics. She spent over two years researching the subsurface conditions of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, including a summer spent at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

GIANLUCA BIANCHINO: is a multimedia artist living and working in Northern New Jersey. Originally from Italy, Gianluca attended an Architectural magnet school in Avellino before relocating to the US where he enrolled at New Jersey City University to receive a BFA in painting. In 2011 he completed his studies with an MFA from Montclair State University focused on sculpture/installation. Gianluca has maintained a studio practice for over ten years in Northern New Jersey, for nearly a decade in the thriving arts district of Newark NJ, and currently in Jersey City. Bianchino exhibits regularly throughout the greater New York area. Recent exhibits include The Painting Center, NY and at Chashama Chelsea Project Space, NY and a solo exhibit at Index Art Center, Newark, NJ which is reviewed in the April 2013 edition of Sculpture Magazine. Gianluca’s current body of work is inspired by cosmology and physics.

MANFRED MINIMAIR: MANFRED MINIMAIR: is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and Director of the certificate program in Data Visualization and Analysis at Seton Hall University. He is a computing scientist and applied mathematician with a strong interest in symbolic computation, data science and collaboration software and frequently works with other researchers, including scientists in psychology and biology. He earned degrees from Johannes Kepler University and North Carolina State University.

MEHMET ALPER SAHINER: is currently the Chair of the Department of Physics at Seton Hall University. He earned his Ph.D. at Rutgers University in 1995. Before coming to Seton Hall University, he worked as a beamline scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and a senior scientist at Evans Analytical Group, a network of distinguished laboratories. His current research interests lie in the area of semi-conductor materials and solar cells. Dr. Sahiner is also the recipient of many prestigious grants to support his research and serves in the editorial board of (Elsevier) Material Science for Semiconductor Processing Journal.

TRAVIS LEROY SOUTHWORTH: is an artist based in Brooklyn, NY. His work in collage and sculpture explores fluctuations between cosmology and cosmetology, tying together elements of daily concerns with those of the outer universe. In 2013 he completed a residency involving the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland. Exhibitions include The Drawing Center (NYC), Martha Otero Gallery (Los Angeles), Mixed Greens Gallery (solo project, NYC), Dock Gallery (Basel) and The Bronx Museum of Art (Bronx). He was awarded a 2010 Fellowship in Photography from the New York Foundation for the Arts. Travis holds a MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2007).

JEANNE BRASILE: moderator of the panel, is currently the Director of the Walsh Gallery and curator of “Getting to Infinity.” Philosophically, she sees the gallery as a place for asking questions rather than a framework for imposing meaning. I am most interested in developing exhibitions that challenge visitors to re-think their perceptions about art, art-making and the role of the museum/gallery. She frequently curates exhibitions that investigate topics in an inter-disciplinary fashion.

The panel discussion is free and open to the general public.

Sponsors

This program is made possible, in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and administered by the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs.

The Walsh Gallery at Seton Hall University

400 S. Orange Avenue

South Orange, NJ 07079

973-275-2033

walshgallery@shu.edu

Hours: Monday through Friday, 10:30am to 4:30pm

Directions