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September 4, 2012鈥擳his summer, and major Celeste Chen (C鈥�14) designed her own trip to explore the art and culture of Berlin.

After studying the vibrant street art of Washington, DC, Chen wanted to research urban art in a major European city. 鈥淏erlin just sounded like a really interesting city,鈥� she said. Initially, Chen wanted to look at how the city鈥檚 social and political history affected artists. She was also aware of Berlin鈥檚 rising status as a center for contemporary art.

Chen鈥檚 travel was made possible by the 鈥檚 Misty Dailey Awards and the BMW Center for German and European Studies.

Upon arriving in Berlin, she reached out to artists, curators, and graphic designers. In the process, 鈥淭he trip became about the evolution of Berlin as a city, the impact of gentrification, and how the art community is growing right now,鈥� she explained.

Chen also visited artists鈥� studios where she encountered new types of art. 鈥淚 had never analyzed deeply sound and light art,鈥� she said. Through interviews with artist Robert Henke, she was able to see how he 鈥渦sed sound and light to form a single piece.鈥� Intrigued by his use of intangible elements, Chen described his work as two transparencies laid together to create a greater image.

According to the artist, 鈥淭he art piece is all in your head because you鈥檙e the one who鈥檚 processing the sound and the light. They each have their own independent qualities, but [the viewer is] the one making these relationships,鈥� she explained.

鈥淚t got me thinking about what a sculpture is鈥攊n terms of its tangibility,鈥� she continued. Through her discussions, Chen began to map out her thoughts on ephemeral media like sound and light. 鈥淚 usually paint. My medium is paint, and my product is a painting. With light and sound, you鈥檙e using a cathode or [computer] code.

鈥淭he art isn鈥檛 the code; it鈥檚 your processing of it,鈥� she said. As a neurobiology major, Chen feels that she has an innate awareness of the connection between her thoughts and hands when painting. But this was the first time she seriously considered the role of spectators and how they process her art.

In her seemingly disparate majors of neurobiology and art, Chen does find similarities. 鈥淸In science,] there鈥檚 a real elegance to how you manipulate, test, and explore. That鈥檚 how I approach art as well. I鈥檒l choose a medium, explore it, and manipulate the paint and colors. Then I create this image,鈥� she explained.

As she continues to delve into her majors over the next two years, Chen is happy that she chose to concentrate on two distinct disciplines. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e both two majors that are deeply personal,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are two things that I love, [and] I鈥檓 going to do both of them.鈥�

This year, she hopes to create a project or installation in response to her Berlin trip. 鈥淚 want to compile all of this information together regardless of if I can show it or not,鈥� Chen said. She feels that going through the research she collected鈥攊nterviews, photographs, and audio recordings鈥攚ill allow her to absorb what she learned and reinvigorate her creative practice.

鈥淚 feel like I have this new perspective on art, a deeper understanding of what鈥檚 available,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ven though I may not pursue all of these avenues, they鈥檙e influencing what I鈥檓 doing.鈥�