The complexities of the brain come to life in the annual Art of Science competition at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience. The competition started as a way to look into this invisible world. Since then, many works have been presented that depict the intricate details of blood vessels and intertwining neurons in the brain, revealing the beauty in the intersection of science and art. Now in its twelfth year, the competition has provoked deeper responses, challenging many artists to reconsider how they think about the brain.
The Winner
The FND Stories works by artist Andrew Brooks speak to functional neurological disorder (FND) and describe the experience of living with this disorder as “frustrating, disabling, and misunderstood”. Brooks uses silent video, text-based artificial intelligence analysis, and ink and gold compositions on paper to focus on this disorder that has eluded doctors’ descriptions for centuries.
Honorary Mention
The works of Martians Incubation Lab by artist Hong Lou Chan integrate neuroscience and mental imagery. These internal artworks address the complex relationship between humans and aliens, revealing that the concept of the alien starts from within. The meditation asks participants to imagine placing themselves in a Martian environment and atmosphere using a description of carbon dioxide-filled air, freezing temperatures, and dust storms. The participants’ neural response information is recorded using electricity, and they are asked to interpret the sound and animations created from the data.
Honorary Mention
The works of The Forgotten Giants of Neuroscience by artist Bart Lutters aim to restore the lost voices of medical history by narrating the stories of individuals who were not considered historically significant. Lutters’ works are based on real images of patients found in archives of scientific experiments, and he consciously alters the patients’ features to preserve their identity. Lutters utilizes mixed media to juxtapose the patients’ features against the background of notes written by doctors and scientists. His works aim to reclaim the lost voices of medical history by recounting the stories of those who were not seen as deserving of historical attention.
Honorary Mention
The works of Plassein, 2022 by artist Alexandra Davenport rely on a dance interpretation of brain plasticity. Davenport draws inspiration from the brain’s capacity for organization, adaptation, and growth in her work, taking cues from the brain’s capability to reshape in developing sequences. The performances begin with intertwined arms, then the dancers’ arms shift from one to another, culminating in a gathering of them together in an entangled cluster of limbs. The movements mimic the brain’s ongoing transformation. “The brain is shaped by our experiences,” says Davenport. “But it is also malleable, meaning we can influence the brain’s evolution.”
Honorary Mention
The works of The Alzheimer’s Eye by artist Lucia Roflich draw from her research on diagnosing degenerative neurological diseases. Roflich seeks to take a closer look at the eye as a window into the brain. For Alzheimer’s, an accurate diagnosis requires an investigation into specific diagnostic signs. The works aim to “encourage a closer look at potential diagnostic signs that may not come to mind when thinking about Alzheimer’s.”
Honorary Mention
The works of Fiery Webb by artist Leonard Klein visualize small threads colored red, purple, and yellow connecting to one another. These are neurons from a mouse’s brain that have been visualized under a microscope in a neurological study. The three distinct colors represent different groups of neurons.
Honorary Mention
The works of Erupting Neurons by scientist Ammar Natalwala resemble thin orange lines exploding on a textured black surface resembling an active volcano. But these protruding black, white, and orange threads actually represent Parkinson’s disease in a Petri dish. Natalwala transformed human stem cells into mature neurons and used Lewy bodies – protein aggregates found in the brain plaques of Parkinson’s disease – to push them into a pathological state. The anomalies caused by the proteins can be observed under a microscope, providing a closer look at how protein disruptions impair the brain’s ability to perform its basic functions.
Source:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-the-brain-like-never-before-in-this-gorgeous-art/
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