We now live in the Genomic Era. It takes about 30 minutes and less than $1000.00 to sequence the entire genome of one person. As technology advances and costs reduce, genetic testing will become a routine part of health management. Millions of people have already opted to investigate their own genomes through private companies like 23andMe. Although doctors and nurses will pass on important information about how DNA works to their patients, no such guidance will be available in other areas, such as education, law and home DNA tests. For these reasons, there need to be real efforts to interest everybody with genetics, so they have a good understanding of what their DNA can really tell them.

That’s where you come in!

The Accessible Genetics Consortium, based at Goldsmiths, will be curating an exhibition about genetics, with the aim of getting people more interested and involved with their own DNA. We are looking for talented Goldsmith’s students to produce original artwork in response to one of three specific genetic concepts. Successful applicants will:

  • Have their work exhibited as part of the prestigious and national ESRC Festival of Social Science

  • Be considered for a place on the highly competitive Erasmus Scheme: offering full funding for 2 months of foreign study (Goldsmith’s students only)

  • Have their work entered for competitive prizes, totalling £200

  • Have a budget of up to £50 for artistic materials upon having their proposal accepted

The exhibition will be running on 9th and 10th November 2018. Proposals will need to be submitted by 8th October. If you are then selected for the exhibition completed work will have to be submitted by 1st November 2018.

The exhibition will be held in a small gallery space at 310 New Cross Road. There will be space for a limited selection of wall-based work (painting, print, illustration, wall hangings etc.) and sculpture work. We would also be interested in installation work and soundscape work. Unfortunately performance pieces can not be considered for this event. 

Download: GeKnoWme Call for entries (PDF)

Download: GeKnoWme Terms and Conditions (PDF)

Download: GeKnoWme Application form (PDF)

Topics

If you would like to take part in the exhibition please read the topics and select one that you are particularly interested in. If you’d prefer, you can work across topics, but the work you produce must address at least one of these.

MENDEL AND MORE
MANY GENES, SMALL EFFECTS
GENES AND ENVIRONMENTS

If you would have any questions or would like to have your artwork considered for the exhibition, please email R.Chapman@gold.ac.uk.

Ideas Gallery

The images below may assist with the formation of ideas for your design projects

Photo 51 demonstrating the helical nature of DNA using X-ray crystallography. This image proved instrumental in discovering the structure of DNA
Research on the "Kallikak" family of New Jersey, claiming to show how degeneracy is passed down from parent to child. This study has been entirely discredited.
Watson and Crick, two of the scientists credited with discovering the structure of DNA, with a model of their proposal
Charles Darwin 1983 by Jean-Michel Basquiat
Darwin's Finches: Showing evolutionary differences resulting from geographical isolation
A Manhattan plot, used to generate Genome-wide Polygenic scores. Different chromosomes are shown on the X axis, with specific genes plotted against a trait of interest.
An image take from Darwin's notes where he considers the nature of genetic relatedness
The 4-letter alphabet of DNA: A (Adenine), T (Thymine), C (Cytosine), G (Guanine)
EnglishRussia