Umvelt (Subjective World) Gallery Exhibit
September 21, 2011 - October 30, 2011
Gallery Project presents Umvelt (Subjective World), a multimedia exhibit in which over 20 local, regional, and national artists and scientists explore the unique sensory worlds of animals. The exhibit opens on Wednesday, September 21 and runs through Sunday, October 30. The opening reception is Friday, September 23 from 6-9.
Umvelt or subjective world is a foundational concept in the study of animal behavior. It challenges us to think about animals (or indeed any organisms) as they might experience the world through their own senses and respond to it with their own bodies, according to their own (evolved) priorities. Adopting this view led behavioral biologists to a deeper understanding of how evolution shaped the bodies and brains of animals. It also led to the discovery of sensory and behavioral abilities not present in the human Umwelt, including the ability of honey bees and other insects to see ultraviolet and polarized light, the ability of bats to navigate and hunt prey via echolocation, and the ability of many animals to sense electrical or magnetic fields and to use them for navigation. Artists and scientists are challenged to represent visually and with sound the variety of adaptations animals and insects have to their complex sensory worlds.
Daniel will be one of the exhibitors for this event in collaboration with biologist Denver Holt from the Owl Research Institute.
Daniel J. Cox - Artist Statement
So often the important work being produced by scientists and biologists specializing in wildlife and nature goes unnoticed by the general public. My job as a conservation journalist is to try and change all of that. Denver Holt's nearly twenty year study of snowy owls in Alaska is the longest such study on the subject ever undertaken. His work to understand this charismatic species is extremely important in this time of dramatic climate changes currently taking place in the far north. Without good science we have no idea what the future may hold for snowy owls or other species that call the arctic ecosystem their home.
Founded in April 2005, Gallery Project is a fine art collaborative directed by Rocco DePietro and Gloria Pritschet. Its mission is to provide a venue for contemporary art that is culturally aware, individualistic, courageous, and thought provoking. Gallery Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is located at 215 South Fourth Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Spring/Summer gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday, noon-9; and Sunday, noon-4. The gallery is closed on Mondays. For more information, contact us at 734-997-7012
Gallery Project, 215 South Fourth Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan
http://www.thegalleryproject.com
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