Art, science and wonder: My capital city is cutting-edge

“The glory of science is to imagine more than we can prove.” – Nadine Wiper-Bergeron at TEDxUOttawa quoting theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson

Siu Hong Yu is a scientist working at the National Research Council. Outside the lab he tries to stay out of trouble with live music, food outings, photography, gallery visits, running, hiking, good reads and cinema.

A little less than a year ago, I stepped into the Pilot Lab at University of Ottawa and was immediately mesmerized by Andie Haltrich’s installation “The Space-Time Fabric”.

The Space-Time Fabric

In that unusual exhibition setting, the connection and interdependence of each alloy pipe and pressure gauge was laid bare in front of my eyes. I couldn’t help but to appreciate the fact that in order to conduct any cutting-edge scientific experiment, everything had to click, all the way down to each nut and bolt!

The one-night event Catalyst: The Art and Science Experiment, which explored the dialogue between art and science, was a student collaborative effort between the Department of Visual Arts and the faculty of Biological and Chemical Engineering. 

It sought to create a more unified, multidisciplinary campus.

Fast-forward to the beautiful autumn morning at TEDxUOttawa a few weeks ago, I found myself sitting among a forward-thinking crowd.

Learn more about TEDxUOttawa here: http://bitly.com/SzSc4C

Coffee in hand, half of my body wished that I was still in bed but when Assistant Professor Nadine Wiper-Bergeron from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine spoke, I was captivated.

In her talk, she recounts how she, as an artsy, goth high-schooler, got turned on by stem cell research and convincingly argues that the path of scientific discovery is not that much different than any artistic creative process. She urges scientists to learn from the arts and humanities as to make science more accessible through community outreach.

Finally, she conjures up the idea of “science vernissage” where the public can see, feel, interact with and celebrate what a dynamic creative force that science truly is.

By the end of the talk, my mind was beaming with excitement and resonance and I thought it would be a tough act to follow.

Then came the Editor of Art & Science Journal, Lee Jones, bringing the union of art and science to come full circle. The student-run blog and biannual publication showcase artworks that are inspired by science, nature and technology.

Focusing on “the wonder that occurs when fields collide”, Lee passionately illustrates that art has a physical presence where our knowledge can be expanded upon and where concepts become reality. Through artistic exaggeration, art often confronts us in a way that raw data and factual graphs may seem too sterile and neutral.

With science-themed artworks serving as the catalyst for eureka moments, Lee hopes to instil a sense of awe, to make us contemplate and rethink our world.

For more on Mini Maker Faire: makerfaireottawa.com

Having slept on all those thought-provoking inspirations, I headed out to the second edition of the Ottawa-Gatineau Mini Maker Faire for some hands-on biohacking with Assistant Professor Andrew Pelling, who also presented at TEDxUOttawa the day before.

He was accompanied by two of his students. Andrew’s research focuses on re-engineering and re-purposing cells and organs through genetic and physical manipulations.

In an extreme example, his team managed to grow mouse muscle cells inside a decellularized apple scaffold!

The big question Andrew ponders is how structural elements affect the biology of living cells. Of course the science is mind-blowing enough, but what stuck me was the venue. The Mini Maker Faire took place at the Shopify Lounge which is used to be the Capital Music Hall in the heart of the Byward Market.

Unlike conventional science conference, it was free and open to the general public.

Why does it matter? As Andrew points out in his TEDx talk, citizens are embracing the DIY, open science movement and he would like to participate as much as possible through this type of social engagement. At the event, the Pelling Lab displayed several homemade equipment relevant to DIY biology, such as a cell culture incubator made from garbage, along with instructions and parts lists.

Crystals Siu Hong Yu grew in his lab

By pure coincidence, I recently came across a book by David Edwards titled Artscience: Creativity in the Post-Google Generation where art and science no longer exist in a dichotomy but fuse as one.

With the motto “two speakers, two topics, one conversation”, an upcoming Double Major event featuring a dialogue on synthetic DNA and hip hop’s roots at Carleton University Art Gallery is just one of the latest examples of how local artists and scientists are eager to join force to create and innovate. 

What do I make of all this?

It is highly unlikely that my boss is going to let me put together a mixed media art piece in my fume hood any time soon.

However, looking at the crystals that I just grew in the lab via a technique I learned way back in first-year chemistry, I rediscovered that the beauty in science often lies beyond the facts and figures but is usually found at the interface of substances.

Wow! Thank you so much for such a wonderful glimpse into Ottawa’s scientific community. Do you want to shine the spotlight on a little known local community? E-mail us at ltottawa@gmail.com.

Eating local, eating green: Celebrate the harvest with the 2012 Eco Gala

Photo credit: Arden Twinkle, via Flickr

Siu Hong Yu is a scientist working at the National Research Council. Outside the lab, he tries to stay out of trouble with live music, food outings, photography, gallery visits, running, hiking, good reads and cinema.

What do delicious seasonal vegetables, a conversation about Ottawa’s sustainable economy, and a Belarusian violin/guitar duet have in common? They will all be featured at Ecology Ottawa’s 2012 Eco Gala, taking place this year on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at the St. Elias Banquet Centre (750 Ridgewood Ave., near Mooney’s Bay).

Now in its sixth year, this annual dinner will celebrate local harvests and the vibrant environmental movement here in Ottawa. The four-course vegetarian menu will showcase some of Ottawa’s best produce and will be created in collaboration with Chef Murray Wilson of the Courtyard Restaurant.

Ecology Ottawa is a not-for-profit, grassroots, volunteer-driven organization working to make Ottawa the green capital of Canada. Their annual dinner sells out every year and we’re expecting the same for 2012. I started volunteering at Ecology Ottawa recently, becoming involved in the organization’s neighbourhood research project. While it’s unlikely I will ever become a full vegetarian, it’s been amazing learning so much about non-meat alternatives that are better for the environment. To me, it is all about balance and getting informed.

The MC for the October dinner will be CBC personality Adrian Harewood, and  the entertainment will feature a conversation with brothers Jeff and Jonathan Westeinde, from Windmill Developments, about how Ottawa can become a world-class environmental leader by transitioning to a more sustainable economy. Ecology Ottawa Chair Graham Saul will also give a keynote speech.

And, oh yeah, that music I mentioned? Duet Cantabile –  featuring Vlada Chametka on violin and Mikhail Rykov on guitar — will be performing arrangements of classical music and traditional Belarusian tunes.

We hope to see you — along with 400 other guests — at this exciting event, which helps fund important outreach and community-building projects. Together, we’ll celebrate the agricultural richness of our city and connect with others in the growing environmental movement.

Tickets are available online at or by calling (613) 860-5353. More information, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, is also available on the website.

Taking the scenic route: Exploring Ottawa’s prime picnic spots one trip at a time

Siu Hong Yu is a scientist working at the National Research Council. Outside the lab he tries to stay out of trouble with live music, food outings, photography, gallery visits, running, hiking, good reads and cinema.

Forget about the federal budget. I needed some fresh air!

With the doom and gloom of cuts and job restructuring in the nation’s Capital, I needed to get out of the city not only to decompress, but also to accomplish a mission. I wanted to scout around for some scenic drives and neat picnic/lookout spots. The wind over the Easter long weekend was chilly and fierce at times, but it’s worth bearing the cold in order to plan for the upcoming BBQ season. What’s more important than spending quality times with family and friends, after all?

Day 1: Crisscrossing the Ottawa River
On the first day of my trip I was planning on sleeping in, but ended up watching the sub rise instead. Not that I was in any hurry to leave. In fact, instead of following the route the GPS recommended, I decided to take the long way to reach wherever I was heading. The day started off with a detour to the Rockcliffe Parkway. I have run and biked sections of it on numerous occasions, but driving the whole thing outside rush hour made me realize how lucky we are to have such a scenic route so close to downtown.

After turning onto the Queensway at St. Joseph Boulevard, I headed east to where the Queensway turns into Highway 17 at Trim Road. I continued along the river for about 20 minutes and then followed the road signs of “Old Highway 17″ and “FERRY” and made a left into Clarence. Following the second “FERRY” sign at Dallaire Road, I reached Clarence Island and crossed the Ottawa River on the Ecolos Ferry, a zero-emission cable ferry powered by rechargeable batteries.

The ferry has no propeller, and instead runs on smaller engines and produces less noise and water agitation than conventional ferries. For $7, the ride was smooth and before you know it, you are driving on the Quebec side of the river. I headed east on Highway 148 for another 20 minutes, and passed through Papineauville to reach my first destination, Fairmont Le Château Montebello. On-site visitor parking costs $5 for the first half hour then $10 for the rest of the day. The luxury resort is famous for its unique architecture and history. The lobby itself is well worth seeing and I would love to go back for their Sunday brunch. Out by the waterfront, a young couple was enjoying their walk, playfully snapping pictures of each other while I sat by the marina for a little picnic of pita, hummus and cherry tomatoes. Re-energized, I checked one picnic spot off my list and started off for the next…

Tracking back towards Ottawa, I turned onto the Chemin des Presqu’îles into Parc national de Plaisance. The park is not officially open for the season until the May long weekend. With its lowland ecosystem, boardwalks and guided pontoon boats, it is a birdwatchers’ paradise for sure. While I was in the area, I detoured and headed north on Montée Papineau then made a left onto Chemin Malo to visit Plaisance Falls. Off the road and further downhill, the main falls roared in the afternoon sun. I was truly impressed by the water volume. All the melting snow has to go somewhere, I guess. There are plenty of picnic tables scattered along the trail and a well-positioned lookout platform for the falls.

After making it back onto Highway 148, I headed west for Ottawa, but when it came to crossing the river, I decided to try another ferry, just for fun. I went for Masson-Angers’ Bourbonnais Ferry. It cost $9. The ship was bigger, but the overall experience was much the same as Ecolos. However, I did notice that multiple ferries were operating simultaneously, so the onshore wait time here may be shorter during rush hours.

Before calling it a day, I stopped at Petrie Islands at the end of Trim Road. By then, the wind had picked up and a few kites were flying by the beach. Seagulls were cawing and waves gently hit the shore. Cattails shuffled in the wind. Ah, the open space! I kept walking and caught myself listening to my feet rustling against the dry grass. I didn’t feel like going home…

Day 2: Due South
Whether you are going to Cornwall or Kingston, the 401 seems to spring up from our subconscious as the only way to get there. I had no idea what I had missed by not taking the alternative route! It was time to cruise along the St. Lawrence. After a lazy omelette, I popped in Feist’s album Metals in the CD player and hit the gas (within the legal limit of course). Under a heartwarming blue sky, I was bound east on the 417, took Exit 66 near Casselman and headed south on St. Albert Road. Following the direction for Avonmore, I turned onto Regional Road 27 and then made another left onto Regional Road 6. Not long after, you will turn right to head south, but note that you are still on Regional Road 6. I sometimes wonder how those highway numbers are assigned. Anyways, still trying to reach Avonmore, I made a right onto Regional Road 15 at a T-junction and continued south. Home free! Thank you iPhone navigation. Without a single car in sight, I switched off the music, rolled down the windows and savoured the pothole-free ride in an open field.

After about half an hour, I crossed the 401 on an overpass and reached the Long Sault Parkway along the St. Lawrence via County Road 2. The parkway uniquely links a series of 11 islands to create a heavenly spot for cycling, camping and other family fun. I was certainly taking a mental note of which picnic tables to come back to. Next up was Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary just a little stretch away to the east of Aultsville Road.

The sanctuary is a great spot to hike, canoe and bird watch, of course. Both the Long Sault Parkway and bird sanctuary are part of Parks of the St. Lawrenceand most facilities are still closed until the end of May (campground reservations are now open, though). As a result, I literally had the whole Naime Island to myself, and spent a good hour and a half there for lunch, photo ops and simply soaking up the sun by the water. A few flocks of Canada geese came and went in total bliss.

Legion Way and the cattails

Finally, I sidetracked on Lakeshore Drive between Morrisburg and Iroquois to check out the waterfront residential area and Legion Way near Cardinal for a quick snack before heading back to Ottawa for an Easter dinner.

Mission accomplished.

Your photos are beautiful, Siu! Do you have any favourite picnic spots you want to tell us about? Send us an email at ltottawa@gmail.com.

Westbound on wheels: Siu finds adventure deep below

Inside the Bonnechere Caves in Eganville

Siu Hong Yu is a scientist working at the National Research Council. Outside the lab he tries to stay out of trouble with live music, food outings, photography, gallery visits, running, hiking, good reads and cinema.

With the perfect summer sun and a few friends visiting, what better way to celebrate a long weekend than with a little road trip? After taking in all the downtown festivities on Canada Day, our group headed out on the open road.

Water? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Cooler? Check. We’re ready – let’s go!

Cedar Hill Berry Farm in Pakenham

We kicked off our action-packed Saturday getting down to our knees for some strawberry picking at Cedar Hill Berry Farm in Pakenham. After a friendly competition of who-gets-the-biggest-berry and being pleasantly surprised at the cost (three mid-size baskets for just $12!), we continued our journey on a country road heading west. And now that raspberry season is here, I’m certainly thinking of going back.

En route to our next destination, we passed by White Lake, where I was green with envy looking at the boaters. For our own break, we stopped in Renfrew for an impromptu lunch at Finnigan’s Road House (302 Raglan Street). Maybe I was hungry, but their fries and gravy were totally worth the drive, let me tell you!

Inside the Bonnechere Caves in Eganville

After lunch, we continued west on Highway 60 (where we almost stopped for a photo op in front of the sign for Cheese Factory Road). Instead we travelled for another 20 minutes or so and arrived at our final destination: Bonnechere Caves in Eganville.

Greeted by the steaming-hot midday sun, we didn’t need to wait long for our guided tour, which runs every twenty minutes and lasts approximately fifty. The tour begun with a brief history of the caves and an intro to the local geography, followed by a showcase of a few impressive fossils found in the area.

Upon entering the caves, I was delighted by the refreshing natural A/C. Our tour guide was enthusiastic and had a few humourous little stories to tell from her previous tours. However, my highlight in the underworld has to be the “optional” section of the cave, where we had to tread a little water to explore a narrow passage in almost pitch black — and then seeing my friend gasp in horror over a tiny spider hanging over us.

Not far from the caves, the Fourth Chute Falls

Once back out in daylight, a short trail that passed by a sink hole brought us back to the gift shop and parking lot. All in all, it was a fun experience, albeit a little overpriced at $16 per person. Across the parking lot, my friend and I had a camera fight, “shooting” each other over a waterfall, which could have made an excellent picnic spot.

On our way back to the city, I kind of dozed off. Afterall, I was dreaming about all the desserts we could make from those strawberries…

Wow! Sounds like an amazing Saturday, Siu! Maybe something for this long weekend? Do you know of any great Ottawa-area roadtrips? Tell us about them at ltottawa@gmail.com.

Longing to belong: Siu Hong Yu visits New Edinburgh’s Dale Smith Gallery

Wading, Sarah Hatton

Siu Hong Yu is a scientist working at the National Research Council. Outside the lab he tries to stay out of trouble with live music, food outings, photography, gallery visits, running, hiking, good reads and cinema.

“I’m falling fast while hoping
I’ll land in your arms
’cause all my time is spent here
longing to belong
to you” – Eddie Vedder

Joy to the leaf buds and flower blossoms!

While the tulips are coming in full bloom at one end of the city, I decided to take a stroll to New Edinburgh for some food for thought (and my tummy). After the best-in-town egg benedict at Fraser Cafe, off I went to visit Dale Smith Gallery’s latest exhibition, Belonging, showcasing recent works by Sarah Hatton.

For this series, Sarah explores her ideas of longing with oil, resin and wax and right away, I was captivated by the sense of bittersweet and nostalgia brought about through the paintings’ sepia tone and weeping paint motif. Worked exclusively on wood panels, the pigments steep through tiny cracks of the medium also marking the passage of time. Along with the family dog and Sarah’s daughter, float planes are featured in three of the larger works and I was delighted by the playful framing of tilting angles, almost feel like you are tilting your head to look at something ordinary in new lights while appreciating the moment and your surroundings.

Shore 1, Sarah Hatton

Opened in 2003, Dale Smith Gallery is located at 137 Beechwood Avenue, just east of the ByWard Market area. The main gallery space is relaxed, intimate and filled with natural light. Upstairs showcases other gallery artists including Kristin Bjornerud and Amy Thompson whose

The Dale Smith Gallery, courtesy of Siu Hong Yu

works are currently featured in Ottawa City Hall Gallery’s Place and Circumstance, an exhibition of the city’s recent fine art acquisitions. As for the owner/curator, Dale herself is very knowledgeable regarding each artist’s techniques and inspirations and is always up for a chat.

Thinking back over Sarah’s stunning paintings while listening to Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder’s Longing To Belong, I just realized that water, as the universal symbol for life, is the common element throughout the whole series. With the warmer weather is finally here to stay, I can’t help but to look forward to all the summer fun and friend and family gatherings. I will indeed treasure those precious moments and not to take anything for granted because good times are way too short.

Belonging runs until May 29, 2011.

Siu finds inner (urban) beauty at Orange Art Gallery

Photo Credit: Trevor (aka tcp909), via Flickr

Siu Hong Yu is a scientist working at the National Research Council. Outside the lab he tries to stay out of trouble with live music, food outings, photography, gallery visits, running, hiking, good reads and cinema.

Traffic jams, coffee lineups, noisy neighbours . . . urban living could be annoying at times, if not downright claustrophobic and stressful. But Urban Magic, the new exhibit at Orange Art Gallery (just near the Parkdale Market), begs to differ. The show features two mixed-media artists — Megan D’Arcy and Matthew Jeffrey — who both demonstrate that amid the chaos, there will always exist some structures and forces that allow the inner beauty of an urban landscape to shine through.

Photo Credit: Siu Hong Yu

From an almost touch-and-go four-day trip to Cuba’s capital city — and 500+ photos — Megan’s Havana is pop and slick with a resin finish. Unlike her earlier works, where skyscrapers and graffiti are superimposed on one another like a scene in the movie Inception, this latest series feels more spacious. Viewers can indulge and breathe in more freely the history and culture of Cuba — and those glorious old cars and buildings that emanate under the open sky.

But Matthew’s playful approach is completely different. Weaving two seemingly unrelated large digital prints — like New York and an underwater shark scene, or a boring sidewalk and a sea turtle beaching — all of a sudden means they carry a whole new meaning.  It is much like the mosaic of urban life, where one plus one may not necessarily equal two!

Urban Magic runs until April 24 at the Orange Gallery, which is one of the newer contemporary art venues in town.

Photo Credit: Siu Hong Yu

Located just north of Wellington West, the gallery space used to house Stubby Soda Pop Factory. Now, the exposed wood ceilings and large windows fully complement the artwork the gallery showcases (my personal favorite has to be the deceivingly simple but deliciously seductive portraits by Stephen Frew). There is also a monthly art walk held on the first Thursday of every month, featuring Orange alongside five other art galleries in the neighborhood.

Maybe urban living is not so bad after all! Go check out the exhibit and find your own vibe of Ottawa, maybe during rush hour, when you’d rather be anywhere than stuck on the 417 . . .

Have any urban escapes you’d like to share? Tell us about them by leaving a comment below!

Siu visits an Arctic Kaleidoscope at the Canadian Museum of Nature

Photo credit: Michelle Valberg

Siu Hong Yu is a scientist working at the National Research Council. Outside the lab he tries to stay out of trouble with live music, food outings, photography, gallery visits, running, hiking, good reads and cinema.

Photo credit: Siu Hong Yu

Spring is in the air. Or is it?

After passing by some early St. Patrick’s Day lineups on Elgin earlier this month, I arrived at the buzzing Canadian Museum of Nature for its free Thursday evening.

I wanted to check out their latest photo exhibit, Arctic Kaleidoscope: The People, Wildlife and Ever-Changing Landscape by Ottawa-based photographer Michelle Valberg.

Greeted by a stunning photo of a polar bear gently walking in a vast frozen Arctic toward a setting sun, the gallery’s peacefulness was in sharp contrast to the dinosaur room next door.

I was immediately drawn into the center of this tranquil space where seven black and white portraits of Aboriginal people were displayed.

Photo credit: Siu Hong Yu

Throughout the exhibit, I could hear several viewers expressing their awe and wonder in response to the surprisingly vivid colour palette on some of the photographs: the green from a lichen-covered rock, the orange and red from the tundra, the blue and turquoise from giant icebergs and floes.

Photo credit: Siu Hong Yu

However, the pictures that captivated me the most were a series individually featuring a fox, a ptarmigan and a rabbit in pure-white camouflage blending flawlessly into their environment. Dazzled by the resilience and grace of the North, coming out into the melting snow and muddy puddles did dampen my party mood a little.

Arctic Kaleidoscope runs until May 29, 2011.

Thanks for this great post Siu! Here’s hoping for more sunshine!