Surfing the Waves of Mu

From October 7-31, 2010, multi-disciplinary artist Amy Caron will be in residence at Duke. Her piece, Waves of Mu, will be housed in Schiciano Auditorium and The Studio, in the Pratt School of Engineering, FCIEMAS (Fitzpatrick Center). There is an opening reception scheduled for October 18 (5-9pm). Admission is free and the gallery is open to the public beginning October 19, but you tickets are required to attend the performances (opening night is already sold out).

Amy Caron as "Thalamus" in Waves of Mu.

Caron created Waves of Mu (pronounced myew) with neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran and leading mirror neurons researchers Lindsay Oberman and Vittorio Gallese. The two-room installation and performance piece informs an audience about cutting edge neuroscience technology and research through experiential learning about these foundational neurological structures. For more information about her integrated approach to “performing” science, here is a small section from Caron’s project rationale:

In terms of presentation, Waves of Mu will defy traditional categories and forge into “new genre” territory in several ways.  For one, the performance/exhibition is designed for a small audience.  The work’s social aspects and theme of interconnectivity will be most successful with an intimate group.  The work also challenges traditional performance boundaries by moving the entire audience between two rooms and further initiating their interaction and participation throughout the show.  Braving these logistical challenges is necessary to dissolve the barrier between audience and presentation, which is important for fulfillment the work’s goal to offer an experiential understanding mirror neurons, which are defined as a neuron with properties that can dissolve the barrier between self and other.  For Caron, the boundary between audience and performer must be traversed to make the work truly successful.

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