New window display for Trust headquarters
9 February 2009
'Co-existence' is the latest commission for the Wellcome Trust's window display. It consists of 9000 petri dishes brightly illuminated with colours and designs that form the shape of two naked women lying head-to-head.
Inspired by the unseen universe consisting of at least 2000 different species of microbe that inhabit our bodies - microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi - Julia Lohmann has produced pixellated photographic images of the colonies of the most common species. These appear in the bases of the petri dishes.
The positioning of each microbe within the artwork shows the part of the human body in which it most commonly lives. Selected dishes have been drawn on, adding visual interpretations of imagined microbes and helping to form the outline of the human body.
Julia Lohmann explains: "It's been really fascinating delving into the science behind our bodies. When I started work on the project, I did not realise that we are hosts to such a vast number of different species of microbe. We decided to use the female form as females contain a greater variety of microbes than males, which is a surprise in itself!"
Julia Lohmann consulted Professor Michael Wilson, a microbiologist at the University College London (UCL) Eastman Dental Institute, whose recent book 'Bacteriology of Humans: an ecological perspective' describes the bacterial communities that live on the body.
Information from this book was used to identify those bacterial species that inhabit particular regions of the body. Dr Derren Ready, a clinical scientist in Professor Wilson's laboratory, grew and photographed colonies of the various bacteria used in the display. A total of 750 images were produced.
Professor Wilson comments: "Only one in ten of the cells constituting a human being is mammalian - the rest are microbes and multicellular organisms. This symbiotic association between mammalian cells and microbes forms the stable, living structure that we think of as the human body.
"So, in reality, the human body is not only a beautifully integrated assembly of organ systems, it is also a complex ecosystem that provides a variety of environments - each of which is populated by a distinct microbial community. A symbiotic existence is probably the most common form of life on this planet and we humans are popular hosts. I'm delighted that Julia has used this concept as an inspiration for her work."
James Peto, Senior Curator at the Wellcome Trust, comments: "Julia Lohhmann's new work is distinct from previous commissions for our window display. Rather than asking designers to pitch in their own ideas using the Wellcome Trust for inspiration, we already had a theme in mind: the symbiotic relationship between the human body and the microorganisms that live in and on it. We really liked Julia's suggestions, and we will also be working with her on a related event later in the year."
The theme of the project was devised by Dr Ted Bianco, the Wellcome Trust's Director of Technology Transfer.
Supper Club with Julia Lohmann
Wednesday 29 April, 19.00-21.30
Tickets (£25) must be booked in advance by calling +44 (0)20 7611 2222.
Wellcome Collection hosts seasonal suppers created by the award-winning Peyton and Byrne café and scintillating discussion with speakers from the worlds of art and science.
Artist Julia Lohmann will be talking about her new 'Co-existence' installation in the Wellcome Trust windows, and explain how she carried out the project and delved into the science as part of her research.
Contact
Mike Findlay
Wellcome Collection Media Officer
T +44 (0)20 7611 8612
E
m.findlay@wellcome.ac.uk
Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson is Professor of Microbiology and Pro-Provost for Europe at University College London. He has published more than 280 scientific papers and has edited eight books. He is the author of two books: 'Microbial Inhabitants of Humans: Their ecology and role in health and disease' (Cambridge University Press, 2005) and 'Bacteriology of Humans: An ecological perspective' (Blackwell Publishing, 2008).
Julia Lohmann
Julia Lohmann is a multidisciplinary designer. She is interested in unusual and undervalued natural and manmade materials. Lohmann probes our attitudes towards the world that sustains us. Her work is exhibited worldwide and as part of major private and public collections, e.g. the MoMA, New York, and she teaches at the Royal College of Art in London.
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending over £600 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing.
Wellcome Collection
The Wellcome Trust's former headquarters, the Wellcome Building on London's Euston Road, has been redesigned by Hopkins Architects to become a new £30 million public venue. Free to all, Wellcome Collection explores the connections between medicine, life and art in the past, present and future.
The building comprises three galleries, a public events space, the Wellcome Library, a café, a bookshop, conference facilities and a members' club. Wellcome Collection is free and open seven days a week. The galleries are open 10.00-18.00 Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00-17.00 on Sunday. The galleries are closed on Monday and open until 22.00 on Thursday.