"Lives of the Shadow: Between Science and Art"

Museums are often celebrated as sites of illumination, but they also evoke all manner of shadows, which, paradoxically, give rise to new forms of knowledge and insight.

In his 2019 Annual Lecture, MSU Museum Director Mark Auslander explores the complex meanings of interrupted streams of light in science, literature, philosophy, and art. Cases discussed include Johannes Vermeer's painting "A Woman Holding a Balance" (c. 1664), Tanizaki's "In Praise of Shadows," Ursula Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea," the silhouette art work of Kara Walker, and the cast shadow image at the conclusion of the MSU Museum's "Finding our Voice" exhibition.

What lessons might this important "shadow work" have for the future of museums, including our forthcoming "Science on a Sphere" installation here at the MSU Museum?

Location:	MSU Museum
Price:	free
Sponsor:	MSU Museum
Contact:	museum@msu.edu 5173552370
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