CCAM Symposium: Illuminations
Join us for the CCAM Symposium: Illuminations!
With demos, panels, performances, an exhibition at the CCAM ISOVIST Gallery, and more, we’re gathering a creative community from CCAM, Yale, New York, and the world to explore the “bringing of light.”
It’s all happening this Wednesday, February 19 , Thursday, February 20 , and Friday, February 21 from 5pm to 9pm each day, at CCAM (149 York Street, New Haven, CT 06511).
Everything is free and open to the public (no registration required, but room capacity limits will apply).
Wednesday, February 19
5–5:15pm:
Symposium Opening with the CCAM Team
5:15–6:45pm:
ReVerb Room
- Sarah Oppenheimer , Professor in the Practice, Yale School of Art and CCAM Faculty Fellow
- Vic Brooks , Curator and Creative Producer
- Pamela Jordan , Architect, Heritage Consultant, and Writer
Join us for a transposition of Sarah Oppenheimer’s N-04008, created at Atelier Calder in Saché, France in 2024. Participants will explore the reverberations of the artwork in a new space and time. A reconstructed sonic network will simultaneously perform an echo of the work at Atelier Calder and an exploration of emerging prototypes. Following this experiment, Oppenheimer will be joined in conversation by Vic Brooks and Pamela Jordan.
7–7:15pm:
Byte (featured project presentation) by Chaitanya Harshita Nedunuri Kahn , Design Strategist and CCAM Ultra Space Research Fellow
7:15–8pm:
Demo & Discussion of a Documentary Virtual Recreation using Simulcam and Stylization
- Setareh Samandari , VFX Artist, Associate VFX Supervisor and Co-Founder at Interdimensional VFX
- Habib Zargarpour , Virtual Production Supervisor at Interdimensional VFX
Leading VFX artists Setareh Samandari and Habib Zargarpour will invite participants to explore their iterative, nonlinear virtual process for filmmaking—which superimposes virtual imagery over live-action photography, including a virtual cinematography demo.
8pm:
Reception by Queen of Tarts Catering
Thursday, February 20
4–5pm:
Arts Library Pop-Up with Caroline Scheving , 2024/25 Kress Fellow in Art Librarianship, Yale University Library
5–5:15pm:
Byte by Sally Snowman , U.S. Coast Guard Lighthouse Keeper (2003–2023)
5:15–5:45pm:
Submersible Experience
- Alison Sweeney , Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Physics, Yale University
The open ocean, a place where walls have no meaning, is the most voluminous habitat on Earth, and rich with animal life. Illumination is the major structure here. Organisms adapt to the structure of the light itself to hide, to hunt, and to mate. Ocean light is surprising, complex, and many-hued at different depths. We will explore the structure of this light by re-creating it in the Leeds Studio, explain why these phenomena occur, and look at some of the animals that live in each region.
5:45–7pm:
Panel: “Illumination, Darkness, and Non-Human Organisms”
- Matthew Suttor (moderat0r), CCAM Program Manager and Senior Lecturer, Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies
- Priya Natarajan , Joseph S. and Sophia S. Fruton Professor of Astronomy and Professor of Physics, Yale University
- Richard Prum , William Robertson Coe Professor of Ornithology, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Curator, Peabody Museum, Yale University
- Alison Sweeney , Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Physics, Yale University
7–7:15pm:
Byte by Joseph Zinter , Managing Director, Yale Center for Engineering Innovation and Design (CEID)
7:30–8:30pm:
Performances (Film, Music, Video, Projection, Spatial Audio):
- No Time for Delay , violin duet composed by Matthew Suttor , performed by Keeley Brooks , Yale College Class of 2025, and Nathaniel Strothkamp , Yale College Class of 2026
- Scattered Light by Joshua Mastel and Nico Cadena , Artists
- “Je vivroie liement” by Guillaume de Machaut, performed by AZ , Associate Professor, Department of Music, Yale University
- Sonic Lanterns by Konrad Kaczmarek , Associate Professor-Adjunct, Department of Music, Yale University; performed by the Yale Laptop Ensemble
- Raster Fieldwork by Ross Wightman , CCAM Technical Manager and Curator, CCAM Sound Art Series and Lecturer, Yale School of Art; and Matt Wellins , Artist
8:30pm:
Reception by Queen of Tarts Catering
Friday, February 21
5–5:15pm:
Byte by Ravi Kumar Kopparapu , Planetary Scientist, Planetary Environments Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
5:15–6:30pm:
Panel: “Illuminating the Mysterious and Unexplainable”
- Elise Morrison (moderator), Assistant Professor, Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies, Yale University
- Francesco Casetti , Sterling Professor of Humanities and Film and Media Studies, Yale University
- Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen , Assistant Dean and Professor, Yale School of Architecture
- Al Powers , Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
6:45–7:25pm:
Time Lapse Illuminations: A Performance Demo & Discussion
- Jody Sperling , Choreographer and Founder/Artistic Director, Time Lapse Dance
- Maki Kitahara , Performer, Time Lapse Dance
- Andrea Trager , Performer, Time Lapse Dance
NYC-based dancer-choreographer Jody Sperling creates new work in the idiom of the early 20th-century dancer, designer, and technologist Loïe Fuller—who, among other unique contributions, pioneered new approaches to theatrical lighting. This event features Sperling with Maki Kitahara and Andrea Trager, two dancers from her company, Time Lapse Dance. After a brief introduction to Jody’s practice, the three will present a movement exploration, swirling expansive silk costumes into dynamic screens for projection.
7:30–7:45pm:
Byte by Balarama Heller , Artist
7:45–8pm:
Symposium Closing with the CCAM Team & Opening of the Illuminations Exhibition at the CCAM ISOVIST Gallery , with works by:
- Bohan Chen and Deming Haines , M.Arch. Students, Yale School of Architecture
- Lauren Dubowski , CCAM Interim Director
- Balarama Heller , Artist
- Dana Karwas , CCAM Director and Critic, Yale School of Architecture
- Jacqui Kenny , Artist
- Zach Lieberman and Iskra Velitchkova , Artists
- Jason Nuttle , Yale College Class of 2025 and Studio Manager, Yale Center for Engineering Innovation and Design (CEID) (On display at ISOVIST at the CEID, 15 Prospect St., through Wednesday, February 26)
- Pulsa Group (1966–1973)
- Gabriel Winer , Artist and CCAM Machine as Medium Fellow
- Wai Hin Wong , CCAM Ultra Space Research Fellow
The exhibition will remain on view through Friday, March 21. ISOVIST is open the public by appointment, Thursday to Saturday, 10am–6pm (email ccam@yale.edu). Yale community members may visit anytime Monday to Friday, 10am–6pm.
8pm:
Reception by Queen of Tarts Catering