NPC Valorisation Voucher - Netherlands Proteomics Centre

Blighted by KenningApples infected with knowledgeA collaboration between the NetherlandsProteomics Centre and Charlotte Jarvis24 |From November 15 th to December 6 th 2012 the bio-artproject Blighted by Kenning is showcased at Hôtel Droog,Amsterdam. The Netherlands Proteomics Centre (NPC)and the British artist Charlotte Jarvis worked for almost ayear on the project, in which apples grown at the Haguewere ‘contaminated’ with synthetic DNA encoded with theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights. Martje Ebberink,communications manager at the NPC, tells us more aboutthe realisation of the project, the collaboration betweenCharlotte Jarvis and the scientists, and the hurdles theyhad to overcome.Martje Ebberink remembers it as if it were yesterday. Sheexplains: “The 6 th of December 2011 was the turning pointfor Blighted by Kenning. Although remarkably enough, it wasalso the day we lost the Designers & Artists for GenomicsAwards (DA4GA) contest. This inventive competition bringstogether elements from life sciences, art and design with theaim of bridging the gap between the life sciences and creativeindustries.” During the so-called ‘speed dates’ scientists fromleading genomics institutes, artists and designers were introducedto each other. Genomics centres and artists that werea ‘match’ were then asked to submit a proposal. On the lastday of the contest, seven finalists presented their collaborativeideas to a professional jury from the fields of art andscience. “From the moment we met Charlotte, we knew thiscould be the start of an innovative relationship. We stronglybelieve in Charlotte and the project,” states Ebberink. “Afterall the enthusiasm and positive reactions from professionalsin the arts and sciences, we were disappointed that we werenot one of the prize winners. We certainly would have beenpleased to bring the project to life with a budget of €25.000and showcase it at the museum Naturalis in Leiden.” The NPCfound Charlotte’s idea so inspiring that they decided to makeit a reality without the help of the DA4GA, and named herresident artist. From then on things moved very quickly.Artistically and scientifically uniqueAfter much preparation, Charlotte presented her vision at theNPC Progress Meeting in February 2012. Scientists at the NPCthen went to work on bio-engineereing a bacteria so that TheUniversal Declaration of Human Rights would be encoded intoits DNA. The synthetic DNA was extracted from the bacteriaOn August 4, 2012 the grand opening of the Blighted by Kenningexhibit was held in a former dairy warehouse on the coast of Suffolk(UK) where a small apple orchard of thirteen trees was installed.