Rubin Museum Announces March Talks, Music, Films, Meditation and More

By: Feb. 07, 2017
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The Rubin Museum has announced its March programs.

Highlights include:

- If you're trying to navigate the world of "alternative facts," Brainwave: Perception continues, with upcoming talks on misperception, memory, hearing loss, and virtual reality. We'll also be screening related films, such as Her, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Rear Window.

- Ever heard Mongolian throat-singing? Your chance awaits with traditional music from the internationally recognized band Khusugtun - making their first New York appearance. (3/10)

- "The future is female," sings artist and activist Madame Gandhi - she'll be playing an intimate acoustic performance with video art featuring powerful female figures from the Rubin collection. (3/24)

- And don't forget to say OM. The OM Lab is now open through May 8 for visitors to record their OM and contribute to our upcoming exhibition. We'll be hosting several related programs, including our "OM-In" weekend, Feb 24-25.

Scroll down for more information!


MARCH SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND TALKS:

BRAINWAVE 2017: PERCEPTION

Do we see reality? Our perception of the world is colored by and filtered through our past experiences. The tenth season of Brainwave will help us better understand the limits of our perception, allowing us to change our brains, unshackle ourselves from the past, and unleash creativity, growth, and inspiration.

RubinMuseum.org/Brainwave

THOMAS DOLBY + JACQUES LAVOISIER

WHERE MUSIC AND TECHNOLOGY INTERSECT

Saturday, March 4, 2017; 6:00-7:30 PM

FREE; Advance registration for the Rubin's Visionary Circle Members

How the brain, music, and technology are interconnected is at the heart of this discussion and interactive experience with neuroscientist and DJ Jacques Lavoisier and legendary musician and producer Thomas Dolby. Select audience members will get to experiment with Emotiv multisensory brain reading headsets.

About the Speakers

Thomas Dolby is a musician, producer, and director who has crafted a career that blends music and technology. His early hit songs, "She Blinded Me With Science" and "Hyperactive!," and his keyboard and production work in the studio garnered him numerous awards, five Grammy nominations, and live performances with the likes of David Bowie and Stevie Wonder. Recognizing the opportunities for digital distribution of music, Dolby started Beatnik Inc., which has licensed technology to Nokia to co-develop the first embedded software synthesis "polyphonic" ringtone engine for mass-market devices. For 12 years, Dolby also served as musical director of the world-famous TED Conferences. He is currently lecturing as Professor of the Arts at Johns Hopkins University, and has authored his first book, The Speed of Sound (Flatiron/Macmillan Books).

Jacques Lavoisier is a DJ with a twist... he's also a PhD and renowned and neuroscientist. He combines his academic expertise and research in the brain sciences of coordination dynamics, vision, sound, rhythm, and touch with his passion for electronic music to create the ultimate musical and multi-sensory experience. Years of research, development, and collaboration with Emotiv-the technology company behind the leading portable brain headsets-allowed him to create The Neuromix, which he has performed across the world. During the Neuromix, Lavoisier records and uses the actual brain waves and movements of the audience or the artists collaborating with him, lIke Ballet dancers and musicians to create a uniquely responsive and adaptive music and light show.

NYPD'S RALPH CILENTO + Amy Herman

WOULD YOU BE A RELIABLE WITNESS TO A CRIME?

Sunday, March 5, 2017; 6:00-7:30 PM

Tickets: $25.00 / Members: $22.50

A crime is committed and you are its only witness. Can you accurately remember the events? In this talk, Amy Herman, founder and president of the Art of Perception, Inc., discusses how she trains members of the FBI, CIA, and NYPD to enhance their powers of observation and memory by analyzing artworks. She sits down with Lieutenant Ralph Cilento of the New York Police Department to demonstrate these techniques and help us solve a crime.

About the Speakers

Amy E. Herman is the founder and president of the Art of Perception, Inc., a New York-based organization that conducts professional development courses for leaders at the FBI, CIA, Scotland Yard, the Peace Corps, and other organizations around the world. Herman has also served as the Director of Educational Development at the public television station Thirteen/WNET, and the Head of Education at the Frick Collection for over ten years. An art historian and attorney, Herman holds a BA in International Affairs from Lafayette College, a JD from the National Law Center at George Washington University, and an MA in Art History from Hunter College. Her book, Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life, has been described as "an engrossing guide to seeing-and communicating-more clearly from the groundbreaking course that helps...save money, reputations, and lives."

Ralph Cilento is a Lieutenant Commander in the Detective Bureau with more than 24 years of experience in the New York City Police Department (NYPD). He has patrolled some of the toughest streets in Manhattan and the South Bronx. Lt. Cilento has been assigned to supervise investigations for more than eleven years, commanding detectives in the 44th Precinct Robbery Squad, 48th Precinct Detective Squad, Bronx Homicide Squad, and Major Case Squad. In his current position as Commanding Officer of the NYPD's Detective Bureau Training Unit, he is responsible for developing training for more than 5,000 members of the NYPD's elite Detective Bureau, including the nationally recognized courses: Homicide Investigators Course, Special Victims Investigators Course, and the Detective Bureau Interrogators Course. He is a featured faculty member for the FBI's INLETS Violent Crimes Training Seminar. Lt. Cilento is a graduate of Pace University.

John Guare + LISA FELDMAN BARRETT

MISPERCEPTION AND DECEPTION

Wednesday, March 8, 2017; 7:00-8:30 PM

Tickets: $30.00 / Members: $27.00

Perfect stranger? The idea of six degrees of separation suggests that that all people are connected to each other through a chain of six or fewer "friend of a friend" relationships. The concept gained popularity in John Guare's 1990 play, Six Degrees of Separation, in which a wealthy couple helps a charming stranger who claims to be friends with one of their children.

The award-winning play is being revived on Broadway this April. As part of Brainwave, Guare joins psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett on 3/8 to explore the emotional patterns that lead to misperception and deception.

A book signing featuring both speakers will take place after the program.

About the Speakers

John Guare's award-winning Six Degrees of Separation, which made its New York premiere in 1990, opens at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre this April. The play received the 1991 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, an Obie Award for the playwright, and the 1993 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. It was a finalist for the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play. The original Broadway cast featured Stockard Channing as Ouisa, John Cunningham as Flan, and Courtney B. Vance as Paul. The new production will be headed by seven-time Emmy Award winner Allison Janney as Ouisa and Tony Award winner John Benjamin Hickey as Flan. The Irish American playwright's other works include Landscape of the Body, A Free Man Of Color (Pulitzer Prize finalist), House of Blue Leaves (Obie/NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play), Two Gentlemen of Verona (NY Drama Critics Circle Award, Tony Award for Best Musical), Muzeeka (Obie), Sweet Smell of Success (Tony nomination for Best Book of a Musical), and Lydie Breeze. This marks John Guare's second appearance at the Rubin.

Lisa Feldman Barrett PhD, is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Psychiatry and Radiology. She received a NIH Director's Pioneer Award for her research on emotion in the brain.

KHENTRUL THOKMETH RINPOCHE + GAËLLE DESBORDES

CAN MEDITATION CHANGE THE WORLD?

Sunday, March 12, 2017; 6:00-7:30 PM

Tickets: $20.00 / Members: $18.00

Can meditation change the world? Khentrul Thokmeth Rinpoche sits down with neuroscientist Gaëlle Desbordes to explore meditation's potential effects on the brain and the planet.

About the Speakers

Khentrul Thokmeth Rinpoche was born in Kheng Goling, Bhutan, in 1971 and was recognized by HH Dielgo Khentshe Rinpoche as the reincarnation of Geshe Rikzang Rinpoche. In his early twenties, Rinpoche studied at Tongsa Tsangkha Institute under the supervision of Lop Nurbu Wangchuk Rinpoche. The following ten years were spent in southern India at the Namdroling Monastery under the tutelage of HH Penor Rinpoche. After a three-year retreat, Penor Rinpoche instructed him to focus his attention on Taiwan, where he has since developed a sizeable following.

Gaëlle Desbordes is a research faculty instructor at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-Harvard-MIT Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging. There she investigates different types of meditation practices (e.g. mindful attention, compassion) from a neuroscientific perspective. Her main study is a clinical trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for major depression. As a member of the Mindfulness Research Collaborative, she is part of a research program to study the impact of mindfulness training on self-regulation and adherence to medical regimen. Her work with David DeSteno and Paul Condon to investigate how meditation training increases compassion was published in the journal Psychological Science and has been featured in the New York Times and on WBUR.

PETER SILBERMAN + MARIO SVIRSKY

WHEN ALL YOU HEAR IS WHITE NOISE

Wednesday, March 15, 2017; 7:00-8:30 PM

Tickets: $20.00 / Members: $18.00

When musician Peter Silberman developed a temporary but total loss of his hearing, his brain filled the silence with static. He discusses his brain's interpretation of sound and demonstrates how it has affected his music with neuroscientist and hearing science specialist, Mario Svirsky.

About the Speaker

Peter Silberman is a Brooklyn-based songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band The Antlers. Several years ago, Silberman developed a hearing impairment in his left ear that resulted in complete (though temporary) hearing loss, extraordinarily loud tinnitus, and an excruciating sensitivity to everyday noises. He explores these impairments in his upcoming debut solo album, Impermanence, which builds upon work created with The Antlers. This solo material goes beyond experiments in ambience by tracing the stages of healing as Silberman experienced them.

Mario Svirsky trained as an electrical engineer in Uruguay and as a Biomedical Engineering PhD candidate at Tulane University and LSU, where he specialized in speech and hearing sciences. He was a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT's Speech Communication Group, where he stayed as a research scientist until he took a job at Indiana University in Indianapolis. He joined NYU in 2005 as the first Noel L. Cohen Professor of Hearing Science. When he is not busy uncovering secrets of the human brain, he runs marathons in unusual places or participates in unexpected performances organized by the comedy collective Improv Everywhere.

ISAAC LIDSKY + JACQUELINE GOTTLIEB

HOW TO PERCEIVE WITHOUT SIGHT

Saturday, March 18, 2017; 6:00-7:30 PM

Tickets: $22.00 / Members: $19.80

"Whether we're blind or not, our vision is limited by our past experiences, biases, and emotions." -Isaac Lidsky

Isaac Lidsky knows better than most how the brain confronts new challenges. He went from childhood actor, to Harvard Law graduate, to successful entrepreneur. He also began to go blind at age thirteen, eventually losing his sight entirely by the time he was twenty-five. He will discuss how the brain overcomes limitations and how perception goes beyond the visual with neuroscientist Dr. Jacqueline Gottlieb.

The program will be followed by a book signing with Isaac Lidsky and his book Eyes Wide Open: Overcoming Obstacles and Recognizing Opportunities in a World That Can't See Clearly.

About the Speakers

Isaac Lidsky is the author of Eyes Wide Open: Overcoming Obstacles and Recognizing Opportunities in a World That Can't See Clearly. His TED talk has been viewed over a million times. According to Inc. Magazine, Lidsky "may possess the most eclectic resume in entrepreneurship:" he starred as "Weasel" on the TV series Saved by the Bell: The New Class; graduated from Harvard College at age nineteen; graduated from Harvard Law School magna cum laude; served as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg; argued more than a dozen appeals in federal court on behalf of the United States and never lost a case; started a tech company that sold for $230 million; transformed a struggling $15 million concrete subcontractor into an industry-leading $150 million construction services company in five years; and founded the nonprofit Hope for Vision-all while coping with vision impairment and blindness.

Jacqueline Gottlieb is an internationally renowned neuroscientist who studies the neural basis of attention, decision making and curiosity at Columbia University. Her work is dedicated to the idea that intelligence is a motivated process - that our brains decide, through complex interactions among millions of cells, what is more interesting to look at, think about, and learn at a point in time. She studies how these decisions are made using a multidisciplinary approach that integrates psychology, economics, Artificial Intelligence and biology. Dr Gottlieb received her undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her PhD from Yale University, her postdoctoral training at the National Eye Institute, and joined the Columbia faculty in 2001.

HOD LIPSON + Y-HOUSE

A.I. AND AVATAR: THE NEW EXPLORERS

Wednesday, March 29, 2017; 7:00-8:30 PM

Tickets: $20.00 / Members: $18.00

From microscopes to telescopes, humans have created many tools to expand our perception and exploration of the world. Now Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality are opening a whole new chapter. Can AIs that think differently than us open up entirely new views of reality? Can machines and other avatars expand the human experience-and perhaps even take our minds to the stars?

Join roboticist and TED Talk alumnus Hod Lipson and a panel of scientists and philosophers as they discuss cutting-edge research on the nature of machine learning and the human story.

Presented with Y-House

About the Speaker

Hod Lipson is a professor of Engineering at Columbia University in New York, and a co-author of the award-winning book Fabricated: The New World of 3D Printing, and Driverless: Intelligent Cars and the Road Ahead. His work on self-aware and self-replicating robots challenges conventional views of robotics. His TED Talk on self-aware machines is one of the most viewed presentations on AI. Lipson has co-authored over 300 publications that have received over 12,000 citations. He directs the Creative Machines Lab, which pioneers new ways for machines to create and be creative.

ASIA WEEK AT THE RUBIN

ASIA WEEK CELEBRATION

Thursday, March 16; 6:30-8:30 PM

Advance Ticket: $85.00 / $100.00 at the door

10% off both prices for members; Complimentary for members of the Rubin Museum Chairman's Circle

Join us for an elegant reception honoring Asia Week New York!

· Enjoy celebratory drinks and hors d'oeuvres

· Come on a final tour of Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual with curator, Dr. Gautama Vadjacharya

· Participate in an interactive art installation with contemporary artist Miya Ando


MARCH MIND/BODY PROGRAMS:

WEEKLY MINDFULNESS MEDITATION SERIES

Every Wednesday, 1:00 pm

Tickets: $15.00 / Free for Museum Members

Practice the art of attention in this weekly meditation session led by guiding teacher Sharon Salzberg, New York Insight Meditation Center, and the Interdependence Project.

RubinMuseum.org/MindfulnessMeditation

SHARON SALZBERG

March 1, March 8, March 15, March 22

Sharon Salzberg, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, has guided meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. Sharon's latest book is Real Happiness At Work: Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace. She is weekly columnist for On being, a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, and the author of several other books including the New York Times best-seller Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program, Love Your Enemies, Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience, and Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness. Sharon has been a regular participant in the Rubin's many on-stage conversations.

AWAKENING PRACTICE

MORNING MINDFULNESS IN THE SHRINE ROOM

Saturday, March 4, 2017; 11:30am-12:15pm

Tickets: $15.00 / $13.50 for Museum Members

RubinMuseum.org/Breathe

Contemplative practice has its roots in the living traditions of the Himalayas. Join Tashi Chodron and guests in the Shrine Room for a morning mindfulness session, which explores the connections between Himalayan culture, art, and practice. Each forty-five-minute session includes twenty minutes of guided meditation that will explore different approaches, including mantra, mudra, and mindfulness.


MARCH MUSIC:

SPECIAL CONCERTS

KHUSUGTUN

MONGOLIAN FOLK MUSIC

March 10, 2017; 6:30-9:00 PM

Advance price: $30.00/Day of price: $35.00

10% off both prices for Members

Khusugtun is an internationally recognized band that performs traditional music from Mongolia. They are especially renowned for their a capella arrangements using "khöömei" or "throat-singing," which is an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity from Mongolia.

About the Band

Khusugtun formed in 2008 when its members were working together at the National Song and Dance Ensemble. Over the past eight years, the six musicians have produced numerous works that feature elements of Western classical music and musical instruments and techniques that form part of Mongolia's intangible cultural heritage, including the horsehead fiddle, zither, flute, lute, open-ended flute, various jaw harps, and throat-singing.

MADAME GANDHI

ACOUSTIC SET

Friday, March 24, 2017; 7:00-8:30 PM

Advance price: $20.00/Day of price: $25.00

10% off both prices for Members

Artist and activist Madame Gandhi will be joined by acoustic musicians for an intimate performance with video art featuring powerful female figures from the Rubin collection. The artist will discuss modern feminism and the meaning of the phrase "the future is female."

Presented with New York Yoga & Life Magazine.

About the Artist

Kiran Gandhi, known by her stage name Madame Gandhi, is an electronic music artist, singer, and activist based in Los Angeles. Having gained recognition as the former drummer for M.I.A. and as the iconic free-bleeding runner at the 2015 London Marathon, Madame Gandhi now creates art that elevates and celebrates the female voice.

NAKED SOUL

Naked Soul presents performances from some of the country's top singer/songwriters without microphones or amplifiers, as if the music were, acoustically speaking, naked. The musicians in the series draw upon the universal themes inherent in Himalayan art-spirituality, peace, tolerance, wisdom, and compassion.

RubinMuseum.org/NakedSoul

BEN SOLLEE

Friday, March 3, 2017; 7:00-8:30 PM

Advance price: $28.00/Day of price: $32.00

10% off both prices for Members

Known for his thrilling cello playing that incorporates new techniques to create a unique mix of folk, bluegrass, jazz and R&B, Ben Sollee possesses rough, smooth, smoky vocal stylings and a knack for intricate arrangements. Sollee shares himself completely with his audience, whether it be by personal lyrics, or his commitment to the environment. In 2012, Sollee self-released his fourth album, Half-Made Man, a revealing, deeply moving album that explores a man trying to figure himself out, just as we all are. Sollee first gained major notice with his 2008 debut, Learning to Bend, which led NPR's Morning Edition to call him one of the "Top Ten Great Unknown Artists" of the year. Later, All Things Considered called his debut "an inspired collection of acoustic, folk and jazz-flavored songs, filled with hope and the earnest belief that the world is good."

GRIFFIN HOUSE

Friday, March 17, 2017; 7:00-8:30 PM

Advance price: $25.00/Day of price: $30.00

10% off both prices for Members

"If you are looking to be blown away by raw talent, then look no further than Griffin House," hails American Songwriter. House's latest album, So On and So Forth, is a deep and reflective narrative. Recording and performing for over a decade, House has toured with Ron Sexsmith, Patti Scialfa, Josh Ritter, and many others. He received early critical acclaim on CBS Sunday Morning, and his songs have since been featured in countless films and television shows. Most recently CNN Newsroom invited House to perform "Paris Calling" from So On and So Forth live on the air. House has released ten albums and continues to headline his own national tours.

SPIRAL MUSIC

Every Wednesday, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Free concerts with artists specializing in music from the Himalayas and South Asia. Presented as part of the Rubin Museum's Himalayan Happy Hour.

March 1, 2017

Steve Gorn + ROSHNI SAMLAL

March 8, 2017

TRINA BASU + ARUN RAMAMURTHY

March 15, 2017

ORAKEL: ROSHNI SAMLAL + KANE MATHIS

March 22, 2017

ANDREW SHANTZ + ZAC COLWELL

March 29, 2017

ERIC FRASER + EHREN HANSON

K2 LOUNGE DJ SETS

Every Friday, 6:00-10:00 PM

During K2 Friday Nights, Café Serai becomes the K2 Lounge, offering a special pan-Asian tapas menu to accompany the evening's free DJ and programs. All DJ sets are free, along with free gallery admission.

March 3, 2017

DJ DAVID ELLENBOGEN

March 10, 2017

DJ DREEEMY


MARCH FILMS:

FILM PREMIERE SCREENINGS

Kushuthara

U.S. FILM PREMIERE

March 1, 2017; 7:00-8:30 PM

Tickets: $15.00 / Members: $13.50

2017, Karma Deki, Bhutan, 70 min.

The Bhutanese film Kushuthara, which means "love token woven in cloth," receives its U.S. premiere at the Rubin Museum, followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, Karma Deki, and the film's western lead, Emrhys Cooper.

The film is set in staggeringly beautiful scenery in parts of the Himalayas that are usually inaccessible to foreigners and stars Bhutan's beloved actress Kezang Wangmo, who plays a skilled weaver, and Cooper as a Western journalist. Through their love story, the film explores the Buddhist concept of karma and the possibility of the rebirth of two people to accomplish what was left unrealized in a previous life.

Bhutan, a tiny landlocked country nestled in the Himalayas known for its measurement of Gross National Happiness, has a population of less than one million people but a thriving film industry, which punches well above its weight. Winner of many international awards, Kushuthara has been hailed as an artistic break from mainstream Bhutanese cinema and for highlighting aspects of traditional village culture by focusing on Bhutan's notable weaving tradition.

About the Speakers

Emrhys Cooper is a British trained actor who recently played Montgomery Clift in the Frank Sinatra biopic Frank & Ava, and will appear in the upcoming remake of Nosferatu. He has also been in the Stylehaul/Amazon series Vanity, in the CBS TV series Person of Interest, and in the hit movie Mamma Mia.

Karma Deki is one of the leading directors in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Since graduating from the New York Film Academy she directed two uniquely Bhutanese films: Dangphu, which depicted the impact of unfairly heavy taxes on several low-paid workers, and Four Friends, which follows the collaborative friendship in a forest between an elephant, a rabbit, a monkey, and a partridge.

Migration

NEW YORK FILM PREMIERE

Saturday, March 17, 2017; 2:30-4:15 PM

Tickets: $20.00 / Members: $18.00

2016, Sas Carey, 80 min, Mongolian with English subtitles

The experiential film Migration immerses viewers in the arduous journey that Dukha reindeer herders embark on each year, traveling through Mongolia's pristine wilderness to reach their summer encampment. The film chronicles the lives of one of the few groups still migrating on the planet today. It is an unaltered snapshot of nomads, travelers who are one with their animals and the land.

A Q&A with film director and producer Sas Carey will follow the screening.

CABARET CINEMA: PERCEPTION

Select Fridays, 9:30pm

Tickets: $10.00 / Free for Museum Members

Can the truth truly be trusted? Is it objective or rather tinted by our experience and memories? Perhaps there is no better medium with which to explore these questions than the illusory cinema. In that pursuit we have invited scientists to introduce films that potently demonstrate that much of our perception is clouded by the distorted lens of our assumptions and desires.

RubinMuseum.org/CabaretCinema

March 3, 2017

Rear Window

1954, Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 115 min.

Introduced by psychology and biology professor Dr. Tony Ro

A Hitchcock classic, Rear Window tells the story of a photographer who spies on his neighbors while confined to his apartment following an accident. From this vantage point, he becomes convinced he's stumbled upon a murder.

About the Introducer

Tony Ro received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of California, Davis. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University College London. He is currently a Presidential Professor in Psychology and Biology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, where he teaches and conducts research on the neural mechanisms underlying sensation and perception. His research has been federally funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, PBS Newshour, and other media outlets.

March 17, 2017

Her

2013, Spike Jonze, USA, 126 minutes

Introduced by cognitive research scientist Dr. Eran Agmon

Amidst an impending divorce and social isolation, lonely writer Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) purchases a new intelligent computer operating system to help get his life in order. The software names itself Samantha, and becomes an increasingly important part of Theodore's life. They fall in love, Samantha learning what it means to be human, and Theodore reconnecting with life around him. As their knowledge grows, however, the relationships itself must evolve as well.

About the Introducer

Eran Agmon is a research scientist at YHouse and a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University's Department of Biological Sciences. He received his PhD in from the School of Informatics and Computing and the Cognitive Science Program at the Indiana University. His primary research interest is in the biological foundation of agency, and he approaches this interest by developing computational models of whole organisms from the bottom up, starting with the transition from chemistry to protocellular life.

March 24, 2017

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2004, Michel Gondry, USA, 108 min.

Introduced by mind scientist Liza Solomonova

Jim Carrey stars as Joel Barish, a man who discovers that his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memories of their relationship erased from her brain through an experimental medical procedure. He decides to undergo the same procedure-only to have second thoughts after it's too late.

About the Introducer

Liza Solomonova is an interdisciplinary scientist working at the intersection of cognitive science, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind. She is currently completing a PhD at the University of Montreal and is a researcher at the Dream and Nightmare Laboratory at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine and at the Neurophilosophy Lab at McGill University. She is an affiliated research scientist at YHouse, a nonprofit institute conducting cutting-edge research on the nature of awareness.

March 31, 2017

Knife in the Water (Nó? W Wodzie)

1962, Roman Polanski, Poland, 94 min., Polish with English subtitles

Introduced by professor of psychology and neural science Dr. Clayton Curtis

A couple on their way to a lake for the weekend pick up a hitchhiker who joins them for the trip. Tension builds as the two men compete for the attention of the woman while they're all confined to the boat. As the rivalry grows more vicious, the trip comes to a violent climax. This psychological thriller is considered by many critics to be Roman Polanski's best work.

About the Introducer

Clayton Curtis, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University. His lab uses a variety of techniques to make measurements of brain activity and study the consequences of brain perturbations. The main goals of his research are to unravel the neural mechanisms that support spatial cognition, including how our brain represents the locations of objects, how objects are prioritized for further processing, and how these spatial representations are referenced to the movements of our bodies in space.


FAMILY PROGRAMS:

FAMILY SUNDAYS

Families can drop into the Museum on Sundays between 1:00-4:00 PM for casual art-making and free family-friendly activities. Designed for children ages 3 and up with accompanying adults, the art activities change monthly and connect with the art and ideas of the Himalayas.

RubinMuseum.org/FamilySundays

MARCH SUNDAYS: HOLI RANGOLI RAINSTICKS

Springtime is near, which means it's time to celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. Join Family Sundays this March to commemorate the beginning of spring and the final month of the exhibition Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual by making festive, rangoli-patterned rainsticks.

APRIL SUNDAYS: HOW DO YOU DRAW SOUND?

April's Family Sundays are all about sound! Explore making playful visualizations of the sounds heard in the world around you. Draw, paint, scribble, and emboss-experimentation is the name of the game!

This month's Family Sundays coincides with OM Lab, an exhibition and project through which the Rubin Museum will create the world's largest OM with the help of visitors. Families are welcome to offer recordings of their OMs to be included in the upcoming summer exhibition, The World is Sound.

BIRTHDAY ART LABS

Birthday Labs at the Rubin Museum of Art are led by Museum educators and include art making time in the Education Center, an interactive tour of the Museum galleries, singing, goodie bags, and more! Choose from multiple age-appropriate themes and catering options. Recommended for ages two and older.

RubinMuseum.org/Birthday-Art-Labs


RECURRING MONTHLY PROGRAMS:

VERBAL DESCRIPTION AND SENSORY TOUR

Saturday, March 4, 2017; 12:00-1:00 PM

For visitors who are blind or partially sighted

The Rubin Museum offers verbal description and sensory tours for visitors who are blind or partially sighted. These free tours, which include museum admission, are one hour in length and take visitors on a journey that weaves together the culture, history, religion, and art of the Himalayas.

Museum guides are specially trained to lead these tours, which allow participants to form visualizations of the art through close, careful descriptions as well as touch objects such as sculptures, art materials, woodblocks, and ritual implements. Reservations are required as space is limited.

SENIOR MONDAY

Monday, March 6, 2017; 11:00 AM-5:00 PM

For visitors 65 and older

On the first Monday of the month seniors (65 and older) receive free admission to the galleries. The day includes a range of free programs including a docent talk in our theater, gallery tours, and a writing workshop facilitated by writer and university professor Nina Goss.

MINDFUL CONNECTIONS

FOR VISITORS WITH DEMENTIA AND THEIR CAREGIVERS

Friday, March 17, 2017; 2:00-3:00 PM

Free with RSVP

Mindful Connections is a free tour program for people with dementia and their caregivers. Every month trained guides facilitate a gallery experience designed to promote engagement with works of art and each other. Visitors are encouraged to arrive at 1:30 p.m. for complimentary tea in Café Serai.


The Rubin Museum of Art is an arts oasis and cultural hub in New York City's vibrant Chelsea neighborhood that inspires visitors to make powerful connections between contemporary life and the art and ideas of the Himalayas and neighboring regions, including India. With a diverse array of thought-provoking exhibitions and programs-including films, concerts, and on-stage conversations-the Rubin provides immersive experiences that encourage personal discoveries and spark new ways of seeing the world.



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