Art, Music and a Robot

 

Art, Music and a Robot: Inspirational Quad Metropolises Program Brings Cancer Patients to the Figge Art Museum on a Beam named “Genie.”

In 1874, Modest Mussorgsky self-possessed “Pictures at an Exhibition” after attending a displaying of Viktor Hartmann's artwork. This seed of ancient proposal lately blossomed into stunning creative collaboration among the Davenport, Iowa-primarily based Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Figge Art Museum, Living Proof Exhibition, and Genesis Cancer Care Institute. With the aid of the Living Proof Exhibit & a BeamPro called “Genie,” Genesis patients can take personal tours of the Figge Art Museum. (Keep reading to peer the video that brings this application to existence.)

We currently sat down with Melissa Mohr, Figge Art  computersmarketing Museum Education Director, Marc Zyla, QCSO Director of Education and Community Engagement, and Nicholas Propes, QCSO Digital Media Assistant, to discover greater about this inspiring software.

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Tell us approximately yourselves and the roles you played in supporting hollyhealthfitness orchestrate this brilliant challenge among QCSO, Genesis Cancer Care Institute, Living Proof Exhibit & the Figge Art Museum.

Melissa Mohr (MM, Figge): We found out approximately Beams a few years in the past thru a donor who is supportive of the humanities in our network and is likewise linked with one of the important local healthcare vendors, Genesis Healthcare System. He had visible a Beam in the course of an experience to the De Young Museum in San Francisco and  webtechgalaxy endorsed that Genesis offers a Beam for the Figge. (We call our Beam “Genie,” which is brief for “Genesis.”)

Marc Zyla (MZ, QCSO): Our next of kin to “Genie” is that the Symphony has worked hard these days to speak approximately our project with the aid of partnering with different organizations just like the Figge. We’ve invested greater into digital media to inform our tale - a part of this is arising with video projects for our community that go together with the track we’re going to play. We sincerely attempt to introduce new and distinct ways to engage with visuals, so we had the idea to recreate Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition in contemporary  healthbeautystudio surroundings - therefore, the Figge Art Museum.

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How is the program carried out?

MM, Figge: The program entails graduate student assistants from the Museum Studies Graduate Program at Western Illinois University, who help patients on the Genesis Cancer Care Institute take excursions through Genie while they're present process chemotherapy.

In our business with Living Proof Exhibit, we provide this system with each Monday to provide non-public excursions for cancer patients. Docents on the museum work with grad students stationed at Genesis, who help facilitate patients Beaming in and provide custom-designed tours of the artwork on show at the museum. It’s a teamwork state of affairs: you have got one person who's imparting the excursion, one character controlling Genie, after which the caregivers are helping the sufferers.

What is the reaction from the contributors?

MM, Figge: The responses from the patients are first-rate - this software offers them an escape from the confines in their health centre rooms. Some need to explore the museum, others need excursions, and nonetheless, others - lots of whom have in no way been to the museum before - locate it a pleasant manner to hook up with humans during their lengthy treatment periods. One patient even stated that the hospital partitions disappear while she does these tours. It’s actually about bringing art and people collectively; that's our remaining mission at the Figge. The partnership with Living Proof Exhibit is right, as their task statement is about presenting the therapeutic advantages of the humanities to human beings impacted via most cancers.

Tell us about how the video challenge took place and what the idea process became at the back of the usage of Mussorgsky’s track and travelling the Figge galleries - thru Genie’s “eyes.”

MZ, QCSO: Our video task centred on Pictures at an Exhibition, a piece that turned into composed by using Mussorgsky after visiting an exhibition of the art of Viktor Hartmann. We knew we required to do somewhat that turned into a longer shape video to present our viewers a threat to hearing this song, however, to also serve as an advent to what an enjoy at the Figge is in reality like. So we decided the technique of creating a video could encompass putting our digital media guru, Nick, unfastened in several galleries with the telepresence generation of Genie to assist him.

Nick Propes (NP, QCSO): Some of the moves we chose were decided on due to the specific experience we had been aiming for and to try to get contrasting moves that might be healthy in more than one mood. We did a stroll-through one day and matched paintings to sure actions that might spotlight each the art and song together for a completely unique enjoy. For example, in a take a look at run, we have been piloting Genie and riding up to a bit of art that changed into a nevertheless-existence with a lifeless swan and other birds, which matched flawlessly with a movement. Referred to as “Catacombs.” We made sure the chutzpa hits lined up with Genie’s “surprise” of seeing it.

MZ, QCSO: For me, it became critical that all people who watch our video has revelled in that facilitates them recognize what a ride to the Figge is like, but one that additionally indicates the abilities of Genie - to deliver human beings to the museum and enjoy somewhat they may not be able to then.

Do you've got plans for future collaborations?

MM, Figge: As we’re bi-country and a regional hub, our immediate purpose is to amplify the program, so it's far available to different health systems inside the region. Beyond that, we are hoping Genie can assist us in providing get admission to even extra audiences who, in any other case, aren’t capable of visit - for example, we have an interest in connecting with the jail device to provide Genie tours for inmates. We already paintings with the Juvenile Detention Center through different outreach projects and might see the high-quality effect this accessibility has had on contributors. We’re open to growing accessibility anyplace we will.

MZ, QCSO: This video challenge has genuinely bolstered the symphony’s courting with Living Proof Exhibit and the Figge. In the future, the QCSO goes to keep to make movies and comply with partnership opportunities as they arrive up. For instance, in partnership with Living Proof Exhibit, Quad Cities-based composer totally Jacob Bancks will write a dramatic oratorio that the QCSO will play most effective subsequent summer season. Jacob will make paintings intently with Living Proof contributors to shape the very last product. This coincides with the one-tenth anniversary of the Living Proof Exhibit, and Genie will sincerely play a function in this undertaking.