Delivery of some new work from Valeriya N-Georg commission inspired by the light activation of neurons and their cellular interaction

Visit to CANDO Newcastle University Optogenetics Institute

GLOBAL EYE ART is exploring human creativity by commissioning visual artists to work together on intellectual themes from science. The current project theme is optogenetics. Creativity in visual images is a common interest- scientists rely on visualisation as a way of communicating their understanding to each other and to the wider society.

CANDO (Controlling Abnormal Network Dynamics using Optogenetics) combines multiple disciplines to advance understanding of optical and electrical activity in the brain and use this understanding to seek therapeutic treatments for brain conditions such as epilepsy. A stated goal is to develop a cortical implant for optogenetic neural control and create a first-in-man trial of the device in patients with focal epilepsy. This 7 year, £10M Innovative Engineering for Health Award, funded by the Wellcome Trust and EPSRC involves a team of over 30 neuroscientists, engineers and clinicians based at Newcastle University, Imperial College, and University College, London.

GLOBAL EYE ART commissioned artists Susan Aldworth and Andrew Carnie together with Andrew Stevenson spent 2 days at CANDO in a range of meetings with team members on their research.

New commission awarded to a new artist, Valeriya N-Georg

Artists Statement: I am creating monotype prints on layered gel medium presented on a light box. The process of printing on layered gel was born of my experiments and references the gradual peeling of human skin, exposing and suggesting a materiality inside the human body. Human skin intrigues me, as the largest organ of the body, a membrane - both barrier and shield between inner and outer and at the same time it is that which connects our bodies to everything outside. The gel material texture also allows me to create artwork that looks like brain tissue- one of my main interests. My art uses drawn fingers referencing the human sense of touch, which is of a great importance, without it our human life would not be the same. A huge network of nerve endings and mechanoreceptors in the ridges that make up our fingerprints feed information to the brain to control reactions to the outside world. The Hand is an Organ of the Brain

ART AND SCIENCE DEBATE AT HERTFORD THEATRE A SELL-OUT

Heather Jukes from Courtyard Arts opening the debate with Andrew Stevenson, Susan Aldworth and Andrew Carnie

The art science debate, held in Hertford on March 7th, was extremely well attended with all tickets sold out and the room filled to capacity.

Susan Aldworth and Andrew Carnie, international artists spoke about their work and the audience participated in a lively debate, chaired by Andrew Stevenson. Susan's work has explored a range of cognitive conditions such as epilepsy, and she showed work from a wide range of shows and talked about a recent project with Stanley Jones of the Curwen Gallery, the world's leading fine art printmaker- the results of which were in the exhibition at the Theatre. Andrew Carnie's work explored the very basics of our neurological structure and featured fascinating sequences from dissolve installations - which Andrew explained resembled the way our brains work. He has been inspired by working with a neuroscientist at London University.

The evening included a lively debate on each artist's work and also on the nature of the newly emerging art-science genre, which opens up questions about what art is, what science is and how the creative processes can converge at some points even though the methodologies are very different.

Members of the audience included scientists and practising artists as well as the interested general public. The role of contemporary art in society is changing and the event has put Hertford at the leading edge.

After the debate, the audience walked to the Courtyard Arts gallery to see a private view of work from exhibitors who had competed in an open competition for work in the Art-Science genre.

The exhibitions by Christopher Benton, Andrew Carnie and Susan Aldworth remain on for the rest of March at Hertford Theatre as does the selected exhibition at Courtyard Arts. Entry to these exhibitions is free of charge.

Click here to see the pre-event PDF brochure.

New commissioning project announced on optogenetics "Illuminations in the Mind" with Susan Aldworth and Andrew Carnie - research phase to start this month.

Preliminary project meeting in Winchester

The final phase of the current commissioning project with Susan Aldworth has now concluded.

Working with Stanley Jones at the Curwen Gallery with an innovative technique Susan has produced a unique series of prints which explore the interaction between genetic structure and the way we think. How much is the way we think of ourselves influenced by our genetic structure? How much are our thought patterns formed by our experiences? Where is our consciousness in all this?

"COMPULSIONS" – an innovative show attended by Helen Pynor, held at former mental hospital St Clements and featuring Susan Aldworth

Helen Pynor, in collaboration with Peta Clancy opened "The Body is a Big Place" at Galerija Kapelica in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Pig hearts were perfused with fresh pig's blood, developed in collaboration with pharmacologist Gorazd Drevensek from the University of Ljubljana.

The performance forms part of a longer term exploration of the ambiguous edges between life and death, and issues relating to organ transplantation. Unexpectedly one of the hearts in this performance continued to beat for 20 hours, further extending the duration of it's "living" status outside the body of the pig and offering a poignant but paradoxically life affirming spectre.

Here is a 6-minute video made by Science Gallery Dublin of the performance from earlier this year in which pigs' hearts were perfused with blood for the first time:

Video documentation of the recent heart perfusion performances are being shown at ISEA2013 - The 19th International Symposium of Electronic Art at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, from 8 June-14 July 2013. The work forms part of the ‘Synapse' exhibition showcasing outcomes of a selection of the Synapse Art-Science residencies commissioned by the Australian Network for Art and Technology over the last 10 years.
 

Susan Aldworth's solo show of "The Portrait Anatomised" is on at the National Portrait Gallery (link below) until September 2013 and shows her work in constructing an "inside out" portrait of her epiliptic subject.

Her portraits depict three individuals with epilepsy. Expanding a notion of contemporary portraiture, she appropriates the illustrative vocabulary of medical science in her innovative printmaking process and in doing so asks how this material corresponds or contrasts with the subject's sense of self.

More information at... http://www.npg.org.uk

London

Andrew Carnie, Susan Aldworth and Helen Pynors works are featured in the Welcome Trust BRAIN exhibition.

Helen's work was used to promote the exhibition and featured on the front page of the Guardian and also all over the London Underground. Picture on slide 2 of Brain on Underground.

Czech Republic

Project meeting with Susan Aldworth and Helen Pynor at Brno coupled with a second visit to Brno "Images of the Mind" show.

We also met the curators of the show in Brno and in Prague.

Dec 4/5th Brno, Czech Republic

Visit to Andrew Carnie installation and Susan Aldworth work at the IMAGES OF THE MIND show.

Andrew Carnie		Susan Aldworth
	Andrew's work examines perception as a series of the dendritic forms Click to see more...		Susan's work explores the inside of the mind Click to see more...

Nov 17/18th Sydney

Visit to major installation "The Body is a Big Place" by Helen Pynor and Peta Clancy at Performance Space, Carriageworks.

"The Body is a Big Place" explores organ transplantation Click to see more of Helen and Peta's work

Nov 9th San Francisco

Visit to the Think Art - Act Science exhibition where the results of artists work from residencies at science labs in Geneva are on show at SFAI

Commissioning agreements have been signed with two more artists, Susan Aldworth and Helen Pryor to extend the Dimensions of Perception project.