Information-gathering / Problem-solving.
Eco artists like Amy Franceschini are maximizing their artistic ‘success’ by divesting their work of the precise qualities that guaranteed the success of their predecessors and many of their contemporaries. They are eliminating signature, style, inspiration, and self-expression from their art, directing their success to resolving environmental ills. Their research is so ambitious and so complex, it exceeds the capacity of any individual – even an artistic genius. For this reason, many are welcoming citizens as participants in their artistic explorations.
Franceschini’s “Lunch Box Laboratories” are portable testing devices for determining the capacity of algae to split the water molecule. This process promises to bestow upon humanity a source of energy that is both infinite and non-polluting. To date, however, no algae species has been found that conducts this process efficiently.
Since it has been estimated that there are between 30,000 and 1 million species of algae, discovering one that is capable of energy production depends upon pooling the efforts of many contributors. Artists can’t complete this task. Scientists can’t either. Success depends upon the cooperation of multitudes of citizens.
In the past few years, numerous opportunities have emerged for amateurs to participate in research into complex systems. Computer gaming, gene-testing, searching for galaxies, bird population tabulating, amino acid sequencing are all being conducted by individuals with no training in programming, biochemistry, astronomy, or ornithology. Yet their contributions are the hallmark of each of these endeavors. This trend signals a major shift in information-gathering and problem-solving.