Peter Krsko & Katie Schofield

Wednesday, April 19 | 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Madison Area Network for Innovation and Collaboration (UW–MANIAC)

Artist Talk with Peter Krsko and Katie Schofield

School of Human Ecology, Nancy Nicolas Hall | 1300 Linden Drive  

Spring 2017 Residency

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arts Institute (presenter), the Departments of Biological Systems Engineering, Art, Design Studies and Physics welcome bioinspired artist Peter Krsko as the Spring 2017 Interdisciplinary Artist in Residence. Professor Sundaram Gunasekaran of Biological Systems Engineering is the lead faculty member for this residency.

The UW–Madison Arts Institute’s Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program brings innovative artists to campus to teach semester-long, interdepartmental courses and to publicly present their work for campus and community audiences.

Krsko creates collaborative and community public art, such as sculptures and murals, inspired by biological concepts of diversity, differentiation, participation and co-ownership. Krsko also develops STEAM-based lesson plans for schools, summer camps, after-school program and correctional facilities. His research of biological communities led him to develop sculptural installations that mimic the structure and form of natural entities as well as the dynamics and laws of interactions within ecosystems.

During his residency at UW–Madison, Krsko will teach “Zoethica: Bioinspired Art and Science” where students will engage in a hands-on study of the natural world utilizing modern instrumentation. Krsko will guide students to observe natural materials, organisms and systems at micro-, meso- and macroscopic levels. During this process, students will analyze artistic and scientific approaches to studying nature and develop novel materials and systems based on natural concepts. The students will review current literature, engage in lab measurements and develop their own artwork (to be exhibited at the end of the semester) as well as creating bioinspired STEAM curricula for the Zoethica website.