STEAM Cabinet of Curiosity

This exhibition by The CICaidA Team and their faculty advisors M. Ete Chan (Biomedical Engineering) and Nobuho Nagasawa (Art).

A Cabinet of Curiosities – also known as wunderkammer (cabinet of wonders) in German - was used to store and exhibit a wide variety of objects and artifacts, especially those which were rare, eclectic, and esoteric. Through a selection of objects, such as those related to natural history, geology, ethnography, archeology, religion, and art, a particular story was told about the world. The cabinet served as a microcosm of the world to the collectors of the 16th century.

Our “STEAM Cabinet of Curiosity,” consists of an array of glass beakers, flasks, clamps, test tubes - the tools of the organic chemistry lab, along with sculptured body parts created by Nobuho Nagasawa made from a variety of materials (bronze, copper, crystal, plaster, cement, etc.), all distributed around “The Basic Teachings of the Great Philosophers.” The book is open to a specific chapter “The Soul and Immortality.” Nestled in the book is a cast resin cicada, symbolizing immortality and the ultimate prospect of transcendent rebirth.

In the center of the cabinet is a representation of a DNA molecule, a double helix made from chemistry lab supplies, which is interactive. When a visitor presses their finger to the sensor connected to the DNA model, the double helix glows in response to their heartbeat. Despite their beauty and importance, DNA and heartbeat are typically not visible to the naked eye. DNA represents life; it is the blueprint that provides the information to create proteins necessary for an organism to grow, develop, survive and reproduce. Our hearbeats fuel our body with oxygen and nutrients through the circulatory system to sustain our life and perform various body functions. Together in this Cabinet of STEAMing Curiosity exhibit, they remind us of how art makes STEM more approachable and engaging to anyone, with or without a STEM background.

In our “STEAM Cabinet of Curiosity,” science and art are intrinsically one – STEAM. The exhibit reminds us of the importance of both Science and Art, and how STEM can be more approachable and engaging through the inclusion of Art. Our collaboration, composed of faculty and students from different academic majors and from across the campus, highlights the value of interdisciplinary education.