Nagoya Univeristy does not have an Art Department. There is an Art History Department but no studio component. I coincidentally met a professor of informational science from the university at an art exhibition earlier in the week. He mentioned that he is establishing a new experimental space at the university called「clas」. He invited me to the next exhibition.

It turns out that the Informational Science Department at the university is also interested in aesthetics and media production. A group of students produced art objects to accompany their current research and course work. I enjoyed the presentations and look forward to more events at「clas」. The department is very interdisciplinary in order to survive university budget cuts.  It has the potential to evolve into a program similar to MIT’s Media Lab.  Art and science must meet, and seminar groups like this are forging ahead.  Artists think and scientists ask why do you think and how do you know.  Both disciplines can learn a lot from the other. Here is a poster from the event.