A collaboration between art and science is unfolding at Google’s Quantum AI Lab. The lab’s artist in residence, Forest Stearns, and the engineer behind Google’s first quantum AI computer, Erik Lucero, are working together to turn the lab into a center of creative expression. PBS NewsHour’s arts and culture series, CANVAS, featured this project in a report by Mike Cerre earlier this month.
“We have created a space where there is no edge between the hardware, the art, the architecture, the scientist and nature itself through the windows,” said Stearns, a statement that encapsulates the seamless integration of various elements in the lab, reflecting a holistic approach to innovation.
“I think a lot of the work that I have done throughout my career has been to try to capture what I think are beautiful things that we make in electrical engineering and in physics,” he said, his perspective demonstrating a profound appreciation for the aesthetic aspects of scientific efforts.
Stearns joined Lucero’s lab as a result of their mutual admiration for his Draweverywhere project, which involved imprinting art on satellites orbiting the Earth.
Stearns said that this experience sparked his idea of using art on technological devices to amplify human creativity and expression.
Integration of Arts in Google’s Quantum AI lab
The lab showcases various artistic expressions, such as sculptures, 3-D installations, and even the quantum computers themselves, which are decorated with art. Stearns jokingly described the quantum computer as resembling “a beer keg.”
The main idea behind this artistic endeavor is that art can stimulate and enrich technological innovation.
The project involved the collaboration of park ranger and Navajo artist Ravis Henry, who brought his metal craftsmanship skills to the lab. He used local materials and traditional techniques to create his work, which contrasted with the scientific setting of the lab. The lab’s artistic environment was also enhanced by a mural painted by Lucero, who combined his scientific and artistic identities in his art.
Positive impact on Performance and Creativity
“Everything with vibrant colour in here really just helps, I think, express our creative side in here,” Technician Jacob Aguilar said, His colleague William Giang also shared this feeling and wished he could own one of the lab’s artworks.
In addition to the technological advancements, Lucero emphasized the human aspect behind them.
“It’s important to note that there are real humans working on these projects, and we care deeply about the places that we live, where we have come from, and the planet that we live on,” he said and reflects a deep connection between the creators, their work and their environment.
The Google’s Quantum AI Lab showcases the amazing results of combining science and art. It creates a stimulating and imaginative environment that reflects the human passion behind technological innovation. This rare fusion of art and technology at Google’s Quantum AI lab demonstrates the infinite potential when different disciplines collaborate to challenge the limits of what’s possible.
