8 February 2008

`Designs for Life' - Scientific art or artistic science?

Exhibition - Exhibition: 9th -29th Feb (Private View 8th Feb 6-8pm)
Centrespace, Visual Research Centre, Dundee Contemporary Arts.

Art and science meet in a stunning new exhibition at the University of Dundee which brings two often distant fields into close contact.

Two years of work by artist and PhD researcher Paul Liam Harrison and 12 scientists within the College of Life Sciences has produced `Designs For Life’, a full exhibition of artworks based on the scientists individual focus of research and laboratory data.

Funded by the Wellcome Trust and supported by the University and Dundee City Council, the exhibition include pieces created from images of cancer cells and embryonic stem cells, electron micrographs of human skin and time-lapse movies of nuclear proteins.

Some of the results are influenced by popular culture with one piece presented in the format of a comic strip, another a tabloid front page. Some works are abstractions almost beyond recognition of their origin whilst others are literal re-representations of data in an alternative format.

"We’ve been exploring the process of visualisation of lab data relating to cell and gene research," explained Paul, a PhD researcher and artist based at the Visual Research Centre, part of the University’s Duncan of Jordanstone College.

"The scientists have been working with me at the VRC publishing facility, initially bringing along lab books, photographs, disc images of microscopic data and any material that represents the work they are doing. Our general intention has been to develop new visual representations of this data through the medium of screenprint."

"On one level it’s a way of making science more accessible," said Paul, who as artist-in-residence with the Human Genome Organisation since 2001, has many years experience of combining art with cutting edge science. "Hopefully the works will provide ‘a way in’ to the underlying information contained within each work."

Part of the project has involved an education programme with groups across Dundee,. including children at Claypotts Primary School, who themselves gave an insight into how the worlds of art and science can overlap.

"We were in the school and we asked the children to place words under the title of artist and scientist," he recalled. "To start with they put creative with artists and words like observe and analyse with scientist and then a debate started about whether this was right and maybe observe should be with artist too and don’t scientists create things?"

"It was really exciting seeing children so young realising that both disciplines share so many things and coming to that realisation themselves."

The project, which has made it onto the front cover of Nature magazine, will continue after the exhibition closes with plans for a book. It has also resulted in a symposium on the convergence of arts practice and science, a new contemporary dance work and specially commissioned piece of music. It also looks certain to lead to further fascinating projects.

For more information on the exhibition and Designs for Life project visit the website at www.designsforlifeproject.co.uk.

Programme of events:

Exhibition: 9th -29th Feb (Private View 8th Feb 6-8pm)
Centrespace, Visual Research Centre, DCA.

Symposium: 13th Feb. 9.30-5.00pm
Dundee Contemporary Arts.
‘Perspectives on the convergence of arts practice and bioscience.’
This event is free but advance booking is required as numbers are limited. (01382 909900)

Performance: 13th February, 8.00pm
The Bonar Hall.
‘Alex Smoke vs Scottish Ensemble, World Premiere.’
Tickets are complementary for Symposium delegates. Further tickets are available from City Box Office and DCA. (£5)

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk