Dear All
Anna Dumitriu's new exhibition 'The Romantic Disease: An Artistic Investigation of Tuberculosis' opens at Watermans on Wednesday 15 January, from 6pm. I hope you can join us for the opening reception. Please find the invite below. Best wishes Irini -- Irini Papadimitriou Head of New Media Arts Development Watermans 40 High Street Brentford TW8 0DS Direct line: +44 (0)20 8232 1012 Admin: +44 (0)20 8232 1020 www.watermans.org.uk "The Romantic Disease: An Artistic Investigation of Tuberculosis" - new solo exhibition and open lab by Anna Dumitriu Opening Reception - 15th January 2014, 6-9pmExhibition open daily 16th January 2014 – 24th March 2014, 12pm (noon) – 9pm You are invited to “The Romantic Disease: An Artistic Investigation of Tuberculosis", a brand new solo exhibition by Anna Dumitriu showing installations and sculptures made with strains of mycobacteria, transformed historical artefacts, and textiles that our reveal the complexities of Tuberculosis (TB) and our responses to the disease. The show explores the strange history of TB from artistic, social and scientific perspectives and covers subjects such as superstitions about the disease, its literary and romantic associations, the development of antibiotics and the latest research into whole genome sequencing of bacteria. Artworks in The Romantic Disease" are made with a combination of textile art and biological matter including strains of Mycobacterium vaccae, M. bovis and M. tuberculosis that have been sterilized prior to exhibition. Re-crafted historical artefacts and objects are added to the mix. For example, Dumitriu has developed a series of textile installations stained with bacteria dyes patterned using antibiotic ‘resists’, which focus on how early ‘antibiotics’, such as Prontosil, were derived from chemical dyes. For ”Where there’s dust there’s danger” she has created a series of tiny felt lungs from wool and dust into which she has incorporated the DNA of killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis produced in a Containment Level 3 Laboratory (the highest level for handling bacteria). Around a century ago household dust was incorrectly thought to be one of the primary causes of the disease. Amongst the altered historical artefacts an intricately carved and engraved Pneumothorax Machine can be found, previously used to collapse lungs of unfortunate patients ‘to give them a rest’. The exhibition has been developed through Anna Dumitriu's ongoing artist’s residency at The University of Oxford with the UK CRC Modernising Medical Microbiology Project and is funded by The Wellcome Trust. There will also be a major one day symposium on World Tuberculosis Day on 24th March 2014 with key speakers in the field of TB and art/science practice held at Watermans for World Tuberculosis Day on 24th March. The latest research into this disease, which currently affects one third of the World’s population, will be discussed in a highly accessible way. To book a place please visit: www.romanticdisease.eventbrite.co.uk As well as the exhibition and symposium, The Romantic Disease has an ‘open lab’ workshop with Anna Dumitriu, Dr Simon Park, Dr Melissa Grant and special guests. This will run on five Saturdays, 11am - 5pm, on 15th and 22nd February, 1st, 15th and 22nd March 2014 and visitors on those days will see the group at work in the gallery. Please note the free open lab is now sold out, but you can join our waiting list: www.openlabworkshop.eventbrite.co.uk Weblinks:http://annadumitriu.tumblr.com/RomanticDisease http://www.normalflora.co.uk Also, don't miss! ICT & Art Connect @ Watermans We are very excited to be hosting and taking part in a two-day event for ICT & ART Connect from 18-19 January 2014, to pursue the project objective to bring artists and technologists together across the EU, draw feedback and foster developments of new ideas, projects and directions. Register for free on EventBrite! On day 1, global speakers on creativity & collaboration such as Linda Candy, Christiane Paul, Lizbeth Goodman & Huw Williams, Irini Papadimitriou and Declan Kirrane will deliver inspiring keynotes, and facilitate discussions and ideas to help shape EC Future Emerging Technology investment in art & tech co-creation across Europe. Come and experience the potential for art & tech collaboration with a whole evening dedicated to installations and performances of the performers Stanza, Marco Donnarumma, Ominous, and more to come! On day 2, you will have the chance to meet and engage with like-minded practitioners at matchmaking sessions. Don’t miss this chance to apply for funding to start a new project! Facilitators will nurture and support new pairings with proposals towards funded residencies. Please sign up here for the event and in the meanwhile look for potential partners at www.matchmaking.ict-art-connect.eu About ICT & ART ConnectICT & ART Connect sets out to bring together artists and technologists to explore new ways of working. Collaborative acts of co-creation, together with an open and multidisciplinary discussion, will foster the bringing together of art and technology. The initiative stems from the EU FP7 funded support action FET-ART, addressing the FET (Future Emerging Technologies) objective of the FP7 ICT Theme. The project partnership includes Sigma Orionis (coordinator), Brunel University, Waag Society, Stromatolite and BCC. http://www.ict-art-connect.eu/
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