Collegiate Times

Image: 2012-06-27 15:56:48

Lang’s dedication to both fields is what also makes him the perfect candidate to lead a workshop for Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, Dr. Benjamin Knapp, the institute’s director said.

“ICAT looks at the boundaries between arts, science engineering and design,” Knapp said. “There’s just an incredible interest in the boundary between science and art.

“Everybody is very fascinated by it, no matter who you are.”

Knapp said that even though there is a high interest in the overlap, most people do not realize how critical it is to our world today, which is something that Dr. Lang unveils.

“I think a lot of times when they hear about the arts, they just think it’s a good thing to go to,” Knapp said. “But, in fact, its integral to everything we do, and he’s wonderful at really pointing that out.”

Knapp also said that origami workshops are not common in his experience, so he thinks it is exciting that the craft is being shown, especially to reveal science.

“I think it is quite unique, and that’s what is wonderful about it,” he said.

Lang said the workshop he is leading in Blacksburg is on structures that have applications in technology. The purpose of this one is not as much creating a decorative piece but folding something that brings some form of functionality.

“So that would be more for designers, architects and industrial designers, people who would use folding in the types of things they would do for their jobs,” Lang said.

Adam Soccolich, ICAT’s operations manager, said the registration for the workshop reached its capacity of 20 people, and there is also a waiting list. He said that there is a large interest in this workshop.

Soccolich said the registration includes Virginia Tech faculty and students from different departments, as well as locals from the community.

He said there is a good eclectic mix of people attending from visual art’s students, to architects and some from the college of sciences.

This diversity of interests represents Dr. Lang’s work, a mixture of many studies to accomplish one goal. Lang said he enjoys watching others in his workshops use both science and art to find a solution.

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A version of this article appeared in the Jun 28 issue of the Collegiate Times.