Data Citizens: A Distinguished Lecture Series presents Rafael Rodriguez Gárciga 10/26

Data Citizens: A Distinguished Lecture Series is pleased to present ultra contemporary artist and data scientist Rafael Rodriguez Gárciga. Join us on Thursday, October 26, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. This event is free and open to the public (light lunch). The lecture navigates the exhaustion of creativity, probing its implications for science, art, and philosophy as the tripartite domain of thought.

In person at Richter Library, Conference Room 343,
1300 Memorial Drive, 3rd Floor, Coral Gables, FL 33146 (Map + Directions)

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TALK TITLE: “The Exhaustion of Creativity: The Need for a New Mode of Thought in the Era of Global Boiling”

Abstract 
In an era characterized by apparent life evaporation, this lecture navigates the exhaustion of creativity, probing its implications for science, art, and philosophy as the tripartite domain of thought. As creativity is exhausted, an impasse emerges: can the creativity tasked with generating novel solutions still perform its role when its resources are depleted? This investigation delves into a critical question: when the current boiling point lacks transformative potential, what transpires when creativity becomes exhaustive?

Creativity is redefined as a foundational principle encompassing information, emergence, and ontogenesis by broadening the scope beyond human mental activity. This expanded perspective reframes creativity as the underpinning force within the interconnected spheres of science, art, and philosophy. The lecture introduces ‘the problem of creativity’ as the common nucleus driving global crises, where converging concerns converge into a singular focus.

This lecture proposes a distinct approach—an alternative mode of thought—necessitated by the inadequacy of established disciplinary boundaries upheld by the tripartite structure of Science, Art, and Philosophy. This structure, inherently programmed by the problem of creativity, grapples with revealing alternative perspectives obscured by this very quandary. Thus, the lecture embarks on a journey beyond the confines of conventional thought, demanding a fresh mode of thinking capable of transcending these constraints.

The lecture unfolds its discourse in a sequential progression. Initially, it meticulously dissects the centrality of the problem of creativity within the nexus of converging global crises, unveiling its role in shaping the incapacitation of conventional domains in offering alternatives. Subsequently, it introduces the notion of Prototypification—a paradigmatic shift spawned by techno-science that elevates possibility above reality, epitomized in the prototype’s emblematic form. This conceptual transition stands as the keystone to understanding the contemporary worldview.
The lecture then illuminates the triad of Urbanization, Datification, and Environmentalization as emblematic consequences of Prototypification’s prevalence. These contemporary issues, propagated by the convergence of digital technologies, demand inspection under distinct headings:

1. ‘Prototyping Governance’ investigates the convergence of DAOs, real-world asset tokenization, and Digital Twins, ushering in a governance shift from entities to possibilities.
2. ‘Interfacing Actuality’ explores the convergence of metamaterials, spatial computing, and IoT, transforming actuality into an interface.
3. ‘Prototyping Ecology’ delves into the convergence of Climate Tech and Smart Cities, encompassing a spectrum of technologies within their purview, wherein ecology assumes the guise of the relationship between potentials.

Concluding the lecture, a compelling project is unveiled—an exemplar reflecting a paradigm shift beyond the confines of creativity’s challenge and Prototypification. Envisioned within the context of Miami’s urban natural areas, this project materializes novel perspectives on the interplay between urban landscapes, technology, and the environment, propelling us toward a new era of thought.

About Rafael

Rafael Rodriguez Gárciga was born in the town of Cojimar, a small fishing village east of La Habana, Cuba. Growing up in a fishing village exposed him at a young age to the process of boat building. This early exposure instilled in him an interest for wood carving and fabrication that developed into an interest in sculpture. He attended the National Academy of Fine Arts San Alejandro. In 2010, Rafael emigrated to Miami where he earned a BFA from New World School of the Arts. He has shown locally at Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Aluna Art Foundation, Miami Biennale and The Yard at Casalin. Rafael Rodriguez Gárciga’s first verified exhibition was Rafael Rodriguez – Prototype No. 1: The possible and the actual at Fredric Snitzer Gallery in Miami, FL in 2020, and the most recent exhibition was Rafael Rodriguez Gárciga – Prototyping Actuality at Fredric Snitzer Gallery in Miami, FL in 2022. Gárciga is exclusively exhibited in the United States.  Gárciga is ranked among the Top 100,000 globally, and among the Top 1,000 in Cuba. Gárciga’s best rank was in 2023.

Rafael participated in our Smart Cities MIAMI 2023 Conference.