ArtsThursdays: The Power and Bias of Measurements

When:
Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 6:00p -
7:00p

Where:
Harvard University Science Center Bldg, Hall A
1 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

EventScheduled OfflineEventAttendanceMode

Admission:
FREE

Hosted by:
afiakhan Afia

Categories:
History, Innovation, Virtual

Event website:
https://hmsc.harvard.edu/calendar_event/artsthursdays-the-power-and-bias-of-measurements

How have measuring systems shaped our understanding of people and the world? How can art help us grasp the complex legacies of such systems? The new exhibition Measuring Difference at the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments explores how seemingly objective measurements have historically functioned as tools of authority and bias, particularly during colonial encounters in the Americas.

In this interdisciplinary conversation blending history, science, and art, Pablo Gómez, Gabriela Soto Laveaga, and Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez will examine Euroamerican measuring systems and their role in constructing racial hierarchies and power structures that persist in Latin America and the United States today. By tracing the history of measuring human bodies—from its roots in the transatlantic slave trade to its lasting influence on modern perceptions of race and identity—and by exploring art that addresses the complexities of multi-layered identities resulting from colonial legacies, this program invites participants to see, understand, and challenge the biases embedded in the measuring systems that shape our modern world.


Visit Measuring Difference at the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments (1 Oxford Street) for free from 5:00–6:00 pm or after the program from 7:00–8:30 pm. (Please note that the Harvard Museum of Natural History & the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology will not be open during this event).


Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.


Presented by the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments and Harvard Museums of Science & Culture in collaboration with the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. 


ArtsThursdays is a university-wide initiative supported by Harvard University Committee on the Arts.


Photos courtesy Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez and Pablo F. Gómez


Advance registration recommended for in-person and online attendance

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02/27/2025 18:00:00 02/27/2025 19:00:00 America/New_York ArtsThursdays: The Power and Bias of Measurements <p>How have measuring systems shaped our understanding of people and the world? How can art help us grasp the complex legacies of such systems? The new exhibition <em>Measuring Difference</em> at t...

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