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This is how insanely cool the Met is: several of the curators for the different departments we are 123D-Catching things in today are taking time to show us around and answer questions about the art and the entire concept of the Hackathon.

I thought one comment in particular from Associate Curator for Oceanic Art Eric Kjellgren was worth throwing up here on the blog for people to consider.

After several questions about the art, patiently answered by Mr. Kjellgren, the creative mind behind Project Shellter Miles Lightwood (aka TeamTeamUSA) asked how this expert felt about the Met MakerBot Hackathon. He said he was very interested to see what would come out of it, and said his only caution would be this: most of the pieces in the Oceanic Arts collection were religious in nature, and that the art we make from them should keep that in mind.

That’s definitely something to remember when using technologies like 123D Catch and MakerBot to make art based on art. For example, when you start capturing things in your town for the Capture Your Town challenge, keep it real.

Here’s Mr. Kjellgren’s bio:

Evelyn A. J. Hall and John A. Friede Associate Curator for Oceanic Art, Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  His specialized research interests include the art, culture, religion, and oral traditions of Oceania. Prior to joining the Metropolitan Museum, he was Assistant to the Associate Curator of North American Collections at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (1985-86), and Research Assistant at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu (1990-93).