para Gabriel Abellán
Today, I began my day by reading a post on Gabriel Abellán's blog (in Spanish), a blog devoted to physics and music from both a very smart and poetic perspective. In his latest post, Gabriel shares how a logic class, taught by an inspiring teacher, changed him forever. Emphatically, I remembered my father teaching me math when I was in kindergarten.
https://labellephysique.wordpress.com/2022/05/06/logica-y-norealidad/
Science and Science Fiction
From my last visit to Argentina (I live in Amsterdam), I brought a suitcase full of books: 23 kg of precious books. I "stole" from the family bookshelf the science fiction collection that belonged to my father. I also brought a very inexpensive (but super heavy!) collection of science books that I bought on Calle Corrientes, a street in Buenos Aires well known for its amazing bookshops.
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| The two piles of books talk to each other, with the "real science" pile being the crazier one (verdad, Gabriel?). |
I am sure that the pioneers of relativity theory, with their wild imagination, deeply pleased Asimov and Bradbury. Wells traveling through time and Philip Dick with his multiple worlds speak the same language as the realities glimpsed by quantum physicists. In the realm of music, Stockhausen comes to mind too… maybe it is true that he comes from Sirius.
The people from these two piles of books have in common the ability to see a world beyond everyday facts. They saw it, they believed in it, and they pursued it. Each pile requires a different tool: some build new realities with a calculator, others with a typewriter. Just nuances.
It is easy to associate the capacity for dreaming about new realities with artists, which is something scientists also do. They have to. It is easy to associate the idea of science changing the world (think about the discovery of electricity or the splitting of the atom), but it is something that artists also do. Art and science have been intertwined since the beginning of time, feeding each other and sharing their imaginary worlds.
The Architecture of Cloth
I also brought from Argentina in that same suitcase a pile of sewing patterns that belonged to my mum, and previously to my grandmother: a collection of Burda magazines. My grandma, Beba, taught me to sew when I was very young. From an early age, I could make clothes for my dolls and for myself by following the instructions in these patterns. La abuelita Beba let me use her Singer sewing machine, operated with a pedal, which, at that time, was just at the tips of my small feet. I didn't care much about the dolls; I was more interested in crafting these intricate mini designs with sleeves, zippers, and pleats. Believe me, it's still not easy. I was also amazed by the mechanism of the sewing machine. I still am.
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| I write my scores, with instructions sometimes in several languages, just like in Burda magazine! |
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| Varèse said that music is organized sound. I say that music is the art of combining… a lot of things. |
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| Gespleten piano (2010) - detail of score @2024 cecilia arditto delsoglio |