Our bodies perform a soundless internal dialogue between cells using the universal cypher of genetics. These signals are fundamental to how our bodies operate and how they adapt to fight disease. Silent Signal is an inspiring group exhibition of newly commissioned animated work that explores the science of genetics, cell biology, immunology and epidemiology.
Silent Signal takes you on a journey: starting at the microcosm of the infection fighting internal landscapes of our cells, through the personal experiences and opinions of individuals and scientists, to the application of the research in the wider world of infectious disease modelling and genome code sequencing. The works raises questions about what our genetic code is, how our immune system functions, how disease is spread, and what the future applications and impact of the research into these areas might be for us all.
Each work is the result of an artist closely collaborating with a scientist over a period of two years to produce an artistic response to their scientific research. The pairs have also explored the similarities and differences in the way they work and the technologies that they both use.
Silent Signal comprises:
- AfterGlow by boredomresearch, in collaboration with Dr Paddy Brock (University of Glasgow);
- Battle of Blister by Genetic Moo, in collaboration with Dr Neil Dufton (Imperial College London);
- Immunecraft by Eric Schockmel, in collaboration with Dr Megan MacLeod (University of Glasgow);
- Loop by Samantha Moore, in collaboration with Dr Serge Mostowy (Imperial College London);
- Sleepless by Ellie Land, in collaboration with Dr Peter Oliver (University of Oxford);
- The Signal and the Noise by Charlie Tweed, in collaboration with Dr Darren Logan (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)
A resource pack exploring the ethical and societal context of the science will be available in the gallery.
Background material on each project and an online version of the resource will be available at http://silentsignal.org
Silent Signal is devised and produced by Animate Projects, and is supported by a Wellcome Trust Arts Award and the Garfield Weston Foundation.