Both and Neither: in silico v1.0, Ecce Homology

Abstract

IN SILICO V1.0: DISCOVERY-BASED COLLABORATIONin silico v1.0 is a collaboration composed of eight artists and scientists representing bioinformatics, computer science, engineering, molecular biology, performance, proteomics and new media. We are motivated by several goals: to create works that contribute simultaneously to the realms of science and art while retaining discipline-specific rigor; to investigate the nature of interdisciplinary collaboration; and to explore how artistic practice and aesthetic experience can nurture scientific discovery. Through our collaboration we are developing Ecce Homology, an artistic exploration of the intersection of comparative genomics and immersive experience.The sequencing of the human genome is perhaps the crowning achievement of the reductionist ethos of science in the last century. In contrast, genomic biology is moving toward discovery-based and predictive frameworks for scientific practice [1]. Unprecedented amounts of genomic data are being generated daily. To capitalize on this wealth of data, new tools must be developed. The need to build knowledge from data, or to find patterns within vast datasets, is driving the development and application of interdisciplinary and alternative approaches [2]. Ecce Homology is one such approach. The work fuses multi-user interaction with a compelling immersive aesthetic experience of genomic data sets and a depiction of a complex bioinformatics algorithm. It is also intended to engage the social and scientific importance of genomic biology and bioinformatics while aiming to foster awareness of the use of tools for making meaning and knowledge in science. Ecce Homology's novel calligraphic gene visualization incorporates intricate, non-alphabet forms for scientific visualization inspired by the traditions of Chinese and Sanskrit calligraphy, pictographic writing systems and the relationship between structure and function in biological molecules. In creating Ecce Homology we established a shared language that incorporates elements of each collaborator's area of expertise. These elements from distinct disciplines were continually reinterpreted and elaborated. The result is hybrid process and product.

Default. Design and Neuroscience: Interactive Work on Brain Activity at Rest

“…El Sci-art busca descubrir un nuevo lenguaje arraigado en experiencias personales, sensoriales, metafóricas, estéticas y narrativas a escala humana (Born & Barry, 2010), abarcando temáticas diversas como genética, neurociencia, cambio climático y astronomía, entre otras. Esto se explora a través de obras que emergen a partir de la tradición del arte performativo, el arte interactivo, el sonido, las instalaciones y la visualización de datos, entre otros formatos (West et al, 2005;McGraw, 2016;Jacobs et al, 2016).…”

“…Sci-art seeks to discover a new language rooted in personal, sensory, metaphorical, aesthetic and narrative experiences on a human scale (Born & Barry, 2010), covering diverse topics such as genetics, neuroscience, climate change and astronomy, among others. This is done through works that emerge from the tradition of performative art, interactive art, sound, installations, data visualization and other formats (West et al, 2005;McGraw, 2016;Jacobs et al, 2016).…”

Embedding expression: Pervasive computing architecture for art and entertainment

“…The most recent test of the Kolo middleware (Section 5.4.1) was in the media artwork Ecce Homology (Fig. 4) [83]. This artwork enabled gallery visitors to interact with a large (42 wide) display wall showing a visualization of human and rice genomic data.…”

“…Building on interface ideas explored in non-networked applications by Phidgets [83], we are also developing graphical tools to monitor, simulate, and manipulate the Kolo network. Working prototypes include the Kolo Network Browser, which allows users to interactively browse the Kolo network and make subscriptions.…”