Books & Culture

When Art Becomes Autonomous

What does autonomy mean in an age when technology is radically transforming the ability of objects and even ideas to have a life of their own – from smart cars, to viral videos?

UC San Diego artists will show new site-specific works at the inaugural WoW (Without Walls) Festival to be held Oct. 3 through 6. Centered in and around the La Jolla Playhouse/UCSD Theatre District, productions will radiate out from this “Festival Village” core–which also includes artist talks, food trucks, a beer garden and live music–to several unusual spots on campus and other locations in San Diego.

Qualcomm Institute Appoints New Composer in Residence

He has lived in the United States for more than 20 years, but composer Lei Liang has never lost touch with his Chinese musical roots, and they are audible even in the avant-garde compositions that earned him praise as “one of the most exciting voices in New Music” (according to the British publication The Wire).

Writer and Alumnus Rex Pickett Donates Personal Archive to UC San Diego Library

UC San Diego Alumnus Rex Pickett, known best for “Sideways,” his hilarious, best-selling novel about the exploits of two old college buddies on a wine-enriched road trip, has donated his personal papers to the Library’s Special Collections. The archive includes a wide range of materials—including posters, photographs, and other memorabilia—both from the novel and the wildly popular movie it spawned.

Lights, Action, Camera, Roll-em: the Silent Films of the La Jolla Cinema League

San Diego—with its spectacular coastal vistas, wide sandy beaches, and perpetually balmy weather—has long been a draw as a filming location for Hollywood motion picture studios.

Top Origami Artist to Shed Light on Modern Science of Origami at May 22 Talk

To many of us, origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper-folding, is an artistic novelty, resulting in a cute miniature crane, frog, elephant or even a boat or a box. But, according to origami master Robert Lang, the algorithms and theorems of origami design have illuminated long-standing mathematical questions and have even solved practical engineering problems.