BPN 1639: Obituary Mauro Francaviglia

Mauro Francaviglia was born in Torino, on 22 june 1953 and passed away in Cosenza on 24 June 2013. He obtained his degree in Mathematics at the University of Torino in 1975 and he was a Full Professor at the University of Torino. He has held this position since 1980, when he was 27 years old.   His scientific interests covered a wide range of topics, including the application of Differential Geometry in Mathematical Physics, Classical Mechanics, General Relativity and Field Theories, Calculus of Variations, Symmetries and Conservation Laws, Quantization and Thermodynamics. Over 300 lectures held at various Institutions in Italy and abroad. He directed several national and international research projects.

Author of over 250 papers, three monographs, 11 encyclopaedia long entries, Editor of 19 volumes of Proceedings and Director of two CIME Courses. He organized 20 national and international conferences, among which several national conferences in General Relativity and the World Conference GR14 in Florence (1995).

Member of the Scientific Council of CNR-GNFM (1980-1996). Co-founder
(1984) and Managing Editor of “Journal of Geometry and Physics”. Life member of the GRG Society, founder (1990) and President (1990-1996 and 2008-2012) of the Italian Society for General Relativity and Gravitation (SIGRAV), he also served as a member of the Board of the International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation (GRG) for nine years (1986-1995). Associate Editor of the “Journal of General Relativity and Gravitation” since 1999 and Managing Editor of the “International Journal of Geometrical Methods in Modern Physics”.

Prof. Salvatore Capozziello, PhD
 
I had the luck to know Mauro Francaviglia and to work with him in the EU project SCIENAR. I am sorry to hear about his death. I had hoped to meet him again during the Bridge conference in Enschede coming August.
With him a mathematician by discipline, but a lover of art has passed away. May he rest in peace and  I wish his wife Marcella Giulia Lorenzi all the best. Have a look at the final presentation, which he gave in the framework of SCIENAR Mauro:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/40744260/Overview-project-SCIENAR-by-Dr-Mauro-Francaviglia-Universities-of-Calabria-and-Torino-Italy

BPN 1444 The close of Scienar (3)

The seminar was held in the monumental building of the Royal Dutch Academy of Science in Amsterdam. It was a small group of consortium partners and invited people from Italy, France, Slovakia, UK and The Netherlands. The seminar delegates received in their documentation The Scienar DVD, produced by Nicholas Mee of Virtual Image Publishing Ltd, with all the documentation and presentations of the two year Scienar project.

The presentations went according to schedule. It was a varied program ranging from an survey of science and art to a presentation about the essence of the Romanian sculptor Brancusi, a presentation of digital photography and two scientific presentations on mathematics and arts. A surprise presentation was one on the Baptisterium of Pisa. The seminar was closed with a digital music performance.

The historical overview of Dr Mauro Francaviglia can be reduced to three scenarios:
- Scenario 1: The Birth of Geometry at the time of Greeks: the role of proportions, the music of Kosmos, Platonic Solids, the Golden Mean.
- Scenario 2: The Role of Symmetry and Prospective in Renaissance: the birth of Perspective and Projective Geometry, Simmetry in Art, the beauty canons in Painting, Architecture and Music.
- Scenario 3: The New Mathematics and Art of XX Century: Curvature, Impressionism, Cubism, Fractalism, Motion and Fourth Dimension, Digital Art.

The presentation on digital photography was by Marcella Lorenzi. Her digital photography had started with a mistake she made making a photograph. These days she exhibits het photographs in Paris at a UNESCO exhibit and at Toronto. She consciously paint with her camera. Her statement about “Photography, and Digital Photography in particular, is uniquely capable of recording a space/time image. Yet to photograph a space/time image is quite complex. For example, the correct shutter speed to depict motion varies considerably depending on the motion of the subject and the artistic intentions of the photographer. In addition there are many other variables to movement. And to record this kind of imagery successfully, the photographer must have a tool that allows instant display of the imagery just taken so that adjustments can be made based on that feedback - which is the very powerful capability provided by Digital Photography.”

The digital music performance shook the Academy offices for half an hour as their floors are wooden floors. However it was an interesting performance. Leonello Tarabella had brought his own installation and connected this to an movie theatre amplifier. But standing between a type of beamer and a screen, on which for example a piano was projected. Then Mr Tarabella started to play the piano without touching a physical piano.

The whole seminar has been taped and filmed for a DVD production. Eventually the presentations in powerpoint and pdf as well as the filmed presentations will go online. One of the participants, Peter Heijens made his movie summary of the day and put it on YouTube.


Also Carek Kuitenbrouwer produced a movie on the Amsterdam SCIENAR seminar and specifically on the music performance by Leonello Tarabella.



BPN 1444

BPN 1443 The close of Scienar (2)

For the public meeting on Friday we had set up a program for the day.

9:30h Registration

9:45h Welcome by Dr Mauro Francaviglia, chairman
10:00h Dr Mauro Francaviglia, Universities of Calabria and Torino (Italy): Overview project SCIENAR
10.45h Gheorghe Samoila, ITC (Romania): Brancusi-A life quest for the essence

11:15h – 11:45h Coffee

11:45h – 12:30h Dr Marcella Lorenzi, University of Calabria: Mathematics, arts and photography

12:30h Lunch

14:00h – 14:30h Monika Kovacova, Slovak Technical University (Slovakia): webMathematica - on the border between Science and Art
14:30h – 15:00h Daniela Richtarikova Slovak Technical University (Slovakia): Captivating Symmetry
15:00h- 15:30h Leonello Tarabella, computerART Lab of Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologia dell'Informazione Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy): The Baptisterium of Pisa

15:30 -15:45h Tea

15:45h – 16:15h Jak Boumans, Electronic Media Reporting (The Netherlands): Will the computer become the artist of the future
16:15h – 16:45h Leonello Tarabella, IST/CNR (Italy): Informatics and Music
16:45 – 17:00h formal closing of the project by Dr Mauro Francaviglia, chairman

17:00h Drinks

BPN 1443

BPN 1442 The close of Scienar (1)

The EU project Scienar is about to end. By the November 2, 2010 the two-year project will come to a legal and administrative stop. For the occasion Amsterdam has been chosen to have the final consortium meeting. And as the consortium members will be there, it looked a good idea to tell the world about the results of the project.

Scienar was started up as an EU project in 2008. The project has been divised by dr Mauro Francaviglia for the scientific side and dr. Marcella Lorenzi for the artistic side. The project takes into account the links existing between Science and Art; it has used the innovative possibilities that new media and ICT offer for a better Visualization and Communication. Visualizing and Communicating theoretical achievements of present Culture is by no means simple; moreover, presenting them in an innovative way is a fascinating challenge dictated by new trends of Society. ICT allow us to explore and represent these fruitful relationships in a way unthinkable before.

All the consortium members were present. There were two representatives of the University of Calabria in Italy, two representatives of the Slovak Technical University in Slovakia, a representative of ITC in Romenia and a representative of the UK company Virtual Image and myself on behalf Electronic Media Reporting from the Netherlands. Today we have a closed meeting to talk through the last details of project administration, a look back at the project achievements and the future of the project. Project administration is dull, but it has to be done, filling out forms and excel sheets and account for the costs.

Looking back at the results is more interesting. The project started during November 2008. Since that time happenings have passed: the conference for mathematician, Aplimat 2009 and 2010 in Bratislava, where every year a special session was held on science and art. An exhibition was held in Bucharest (Romenia). And also an exhibition and conference was held in Cambridge (UK). Next week an exhibition will be held at the university of Calabria in Consenza/Rende (Italy). But in Amsterdam seminar, consortium members will report on their contribution in the project.

With this Amsterdam meeting the project is closed. But in principle the project Scienar is dead, long live Science and Art. So we discussed about the future and how the consortium would continue their co-operation. Easy points of reference are of course the Aplimat conferences in Bratislava (Slovakia). But on the other hand the consortium should be seen as a movement which promotes the study of science and art. So participation should not be limited to a few people, but open to other interested people, as we believe the study of science and art is interesting for teachers and students, artists and interested people. So the consortium will continue after the project to co-operate. An open site is foreseen.

BPN 1442

BPN 1409 The Future of Futurism

Illustrations: Images of Balla, Doble and Lorenzi

This morning I placed the announcement on the Future of Futurism, a paper presented at the “Generative Art 2009” Conference held at the Polytechnical School of Milano from 15 to 17 December, 2009. This afternoon I received the abstract of the paper, written by Rick Doble, an American photographer, Marcella Giulia Lorenzi,  an Italo-Canadian Artist-Researcher and an Italian Scientist Mauro Francaviglia. Here is the abstract: 
On the 100th anniversary of the Futurist art movement which started in Milano, we want to examine the aims and ideas of Futurist imagery, then proceed to a discussion of how today's digital photography can achieve many of the goals of the Futurist artists. In particular we want to focus on the Futurists' concept of movement and their attempts to capture a sense of movement in painting, sculpture and photography. Next we want to discuss how digital photography can record pictures that are very similar to the Futurists' vision of depicting a world that is always in motion. For example, Bragaglia’s Photodynamism could be examined breaking his art into different phases and aspects such as camera movement, subject
movement and combined movement [1]. His “algebra of movement” very much anticipates Generative Art as generally intended [2]. In this paper we will quote from different Futurist writings. In addition we will quote from contemporary writings about the abilities of digital photography.
Next we will discuss the relation between an imagery of motion and Einstein's concept of space/time and the SpaceTime continuum.
Last we will make the point that drawing on Futurist ideas, digital photography can create a new kind of imagery in which space/time, i.e. the depiction of motion during a time period, can be presented both accurately and with expressive impact.
The installation will include an LCD panel showing images from Futurist artists, as well as from contemporary ones, comparing the results, including titles, explanations and photographs, as supplement to the paper.

References:
[1] Rick Doble, “Experimental Digital Photography ”, Lark Books, NC, 2010
[2] C. Soddu, E. Colabella, Generative Art Wiki, http://www.generativism.com

Blog Posting Number: 1409

Tags: art and science

BPN 1351 European Elections start in Holland

Today the European elections start in the Netherlands and the UK. In the Netherlands 13 million people can vote; they do not have to vote like in Belgium. The Netherlands is not famous for a record showing of voters. Fourty percent of 13 million is already a lot. It is interesting to see tomorrow morning what the percentage will be. (As we are not using voting machines any longer, as they can be tampered with theoretically, we are again centuries back to the red pencil!).

I have voted already early in the morning. The party choice was not easy. On the one hand we have the Europe haters, who will join the European parliament to frustrate any European initiative. They basically want to collect votes against the present Dutch cabinet, which is pretty weak. On the other hand we have the traditional parties of Christians, socialists and liberals. New parties this time around, are the parties not rooted in the Dutch political system, but parties which profile themselves as European parties such as Newropeans and Libertas. Those parties are not represented in all 27 countries, but in a few countries only. The Newropeans for example are represented in Germany and France. Interestingly enough they also have linked up with the Pirate Party from Sweden, a political party based on intellectual property. The Newropeans agree with the principles of the Pirate Party: disagreement with the present copyright rules, against DRM technologies and elimination of blank media tax.

My vote is clear. I am in favour of Europe and will not vote on the parties which want to frustrate any European initiative. I am not favouring the new European parties as they have hardly presented and promoted themselves. In the Netherlands, only Mr Reinder Rustema was active promoting the Newropeans and as Obama did he did it on internet. He teaches media at Amsterdam University and has indicated to agree with the principles of the Pirate Party. I have resorted to a social liberal party.

After voting, I have set myself to some administrative chores: filling out the financial forms and timesheets of the project Scienar, subsidised by the European Commission. The main objective of Scienar is to stimulate the creativity of artists by means of the creation of innovative scientific scenarios, based on scientific models. In particular, the project intends to create an environment, constituted by three scientific scenarios, concerning: the theory of relativity, symetries and geometry. The project has just opened its website.

Blog Posting Number: 1351

Tags: media policy

BPN 1282 Scienar (2): science and arts

The trip for the kick-off meeting in Italy was quite an enterprise. The situation for flying is hampered by the limbo situation of the airline Alitalia. It was not very reliable in the past with all the strikes, but presently they just drop flights, as partner Nick found out. To be sure I booked flights with Lufthansa and it subsidiary Air One. All connections worked: from Amsterdam to Frankfurt, from Frankfurt to Bologna and from Bologna to Lamenzia Terme. I almost missed the flight to Lamenzia Terme as in Frankfurt there was a lot of fog and planes took to the air slower than normal. With some 30 minutes to go and new check-in with Air One I made it just in time. Up to Lamenzia Terme, which is in Calabria. I have never been further than Rome, but this time I was going even beyond Naples. On the trip back everything worked out okay: planes were in time in Rome and Munich. But all together the trip has taken a lot of time with all the after flight arrangements with taxis and trains.

However it was like coming home, but now in Calabria. I met Marcella again, one of the inspirators of the project SCIENAR. I met her some 5 years ago at a summerschool in Salzburg; I guess the one where the interactive musical Sound of Music was produced. But also George, but Sam for his friends arrived from Romenia through Rome by plane and train. There were also new people to meet such as Nick, an entrepreneur in digital e-learning. And of course Mauro was there, one of the academics in the project. Besides these people there were also people of the University of Calabria, especially Lorella, the project manager, who was instrumental in the process of submitting the proposal SCIENAR to the European Commission. Absent was Monika from the Comenius University in Bratislava, who had to present a paper at an important conference... It looks like an interesting bunch of people who will become a solid team. We talked a lot together in formal meetings but also over dinner sessions.

The work will have to start now. One of the first tasks is to set the scope by making an inventory of examples showing the relationship between science and art. One of the first examples for me is then Escher, the Dutch artist, who produced drawings with mathematical riddles. There is an interactive museum these days near The Hague. It is high time to visit it in January. Sam my Romanian friend pointed to the sculptor Brancusi. Sam and the Institute for Computers in Bucharest produced in the late nineties a CD-ROM, which was nominated for the Europrix, if I remember correctly. Now Sam and his team have produced a new edition. Sam presented the team with copies. This will be good for some hours of joy.

Blog Posting Number: 1282

Tags: science, maths, arts

BPN 1281 Scienar (1): Science and Arts

I am off to Italy; to the University of Calabria to be more precise. There we will have th kick-off meeting of the new EU project with the acronym SCIENAR. It will be an interesting project about scientific scenarios and arts or to be more precise about maths and arts. Oh my goodness, here I am with my theological and philosophical background!

The main objective of the project is to stimulate the creativity of artists by means of the creation of innovative scientific scenarios, based on mathematic models. In particular, we intend to create an environment, constituted by three scientific scenarios, concerning: the theory of relativity, the symmetries and the geometry. These scenarios will be enriched with functionality and digital technologies for producing art objects. They will bring together researchers and artists currently involved in this field, promoting the interchange of ideas and their implementation.

In this way the project intends:
- To make more visible and accessible to all the use of state-of-the-art technology to make European performing art;
- To improve the access and the participation in culture and in new technologies for citizens of the EU, including young, elderly and people with physical impediments;
- To support cooperation activities between cultural operators, scientific and technological experts, for spreading European culture also through events and spreading activities.

The project activities, having duration of 24 months, are:
- Analysis, formalization and development of scientific scenarios
in this phase scientiifc scenarios will be defined and formalized. Also their functionalities will be individuated.
- Utilization of scientific scenarios for producing objects having artistic and cultural value. Cultural operators, artists, researchers and scientific experts will be involved in order to give artistic and cultural value to the produced artefacts and to evaluate them.
- Spreading of this new approach. Events (intercultural exchanges and exibitions) to spread the produced artistic items will be carry out. Intercultural exchanges will be very stressed. In fact in the second project year (2008 – European year of intercultural dialogue) intercultural exchanges among cultural players (it is not necessary that they play the same typology of activity) will be developed, by organizing interactive dialogues and informative tables.
- Results diffusion. This activity consists in:
- To design and to development of a CD containing the achieved results;
- To publicise the achieved results;
- To create of a web site supporting result diffusion;
- Constitution of an international network concerning Scientific Scenarios and Art. The network will potentiate the synergies and contacts already existing by creating news reference point and contacts.

Blog Posting Number: 1281

Tags: arts, maths