Manchester Science Festival 2012: The Wasted Works, MOSI
Liverpool based artist Gina Czarnecki has been collaborating with stem cell biologist Dr Sarah Rankin and produced a series of works with wasted biological matter such as milk teeth, hip joints and body fat.
Recently, scientists have discovered the rich source of stem cells in discarded body parts such as bones from joint replacements, milk teeth and fat from liposuction, and are investigating how these sources of adult stem cells can be used to regenerate and repair tissues. Wasted is a collection of artworks exploring the life-giving potential of ‘discarded’ body parts and their relationship to myths, history, cutting-edge stem cell research and notions of what constitutes informed consent.
Gina has created an ice palace-like structure which she is embedding with milk teeth donated by families. The structure is made out of some kind of transparent resin material up lit with colour gels and resembles, as Gina highlighted, a Disney/fairytale aesthetic. The scale is quite small – like an architect’s model or child’s toy.
Plaster casts of jaws akin to dentists’ casts are laid out on low floor plinths and more plaster casts of hip joints are attached to a sphere above head height.
On the wall are children’s “tooth stories,” donor consent forms and correspondence from the Human Tissue Ethics Board, which we find out in the talk has proved a contentious issue: In unchartered waters, Gina seemed to not legally require ethical approval from living donors for their tissue to be used in art but institutions often do not want to get involved without ethical approval.
Spot-lit on a round floor plinth are two red chairs which are entitled Canapé (2011) made from wood, brass leather, food grade silicone and fat. Visitors are invited to sit in the fat chairs. Being nearly 6 months pregnant means I’m in a constant battle for comfort so despite the disgust factor I give the reconstituted animal in the form of furniture a go. It’s like extra firm memory foam – quite comfortable actually. When I haul myself up, the managing director hurries over and points out the split and leak on the chair I’ve sat on and apologies for lack of warning. It’s pretty disgusting. It was ok whilst concealed in opaque leather but watching the lard substance ooze out of the back is another matter.
http://www.mosi.org.uk/whats-on/the-wasted-works.a…
