Anna Dumitriu
Anna Dumitriu’s work blurs the boundaries between art and science with a strong interest in the ethical issues raised by emerging technologies. Her installations, interventions and performances use a range of digital, biological and traditional media including live bacteria, robotics, interactive media, and textiles. Her work has a strong international exhibition profile and is held in several major public collections, including the Science Museum in London. Dumitriu is known for her work as founder and director of “The Institute of Unnecessary Research”, a group of artists and scientists whose work crosses disciplinary boundaries and critiques contemporary research practice. She is currently working on a Wellcome Trust funded art project entitled “Communicating Bacteria”, collaborating as a Visiting Research Fellow: Artist in Residence with the Adaptive Systems Research Group at The University of Hertfordshire (focussing on social robotics) and (formerly Leverhulme Trust) Artist in Residence on the UK Clinical Research Consortium Project “Modernising Medical Microbiology”. Her major international project “Trust me I’m an artist, towards an ethics of art/science collaboration” (in collaboration with the Waag Society in Amsterdam and The University of Leiden) investigates the novel ethical problems that arise when artists create artwork in laboratory settings. She is also a contributing editor to Leonardo Electronic Almanac.
Links
Links to many projects can be found in the menu above. The list below features links to projects with major individual websites:
Order the exhibition catalogue here.
An ongoing publicly engaged art project by Anna Dumitriu, which considers our relationship to the everyday microbial world we co-exist with. Artworks are developed collaboratively and participants take on the role of artist, researcher and scientist in a hands-on performative way, final outcomes emerge (taking the form of performative interventions, digital works, sound works and installations (often using craft based techniques such as embroidery)) in dialogue with the artist.
“Normal Flora: Bioart Responses To Modernising Medical Microbiology” Solo Exhibition at The Barn Gallery St Johns College, Oxford
Anna Dumitriu’s newest artworks will be shown at The Barn Gallery, St Johns College, University of Oxford 23rd - 27th May 2012 as part of Anna Dumitriu’s new exhibition “Normal Flora: Bioart Responses To Modernising Medical Microbiology”. There will be a talks programme and an opening reception where you can meet the artist. Further details to follow.
The Institute of Unnecessary Research
An international group of artists and researchers working in the field of practice-based research into science and technology directed by Anna Dumitriu. We believe Art can act as a form of meta-knowledge fusing the emotional and the rational and communicating those ideas to as diverse an audience as possible. As Einstein said: “If we knew what it was we were doing it would not be called research, would it?”
Trust Me I’m an Artist: Towards an Ethics of Art/Science Collaboration
This series of public events, taking place in international settings, investigates the new ethical issues arising from art and science collaboration and consider the roles and responsibilities of the artists, scientists and institutions involved.
At each event (before a live audience) an internationally known artist will propose an artwork to a specially formed ethics committee (following the rules and procedures typical for the host country), the ethics committee will then debate the proposal and come to a decision, the artist will then be informed of the ethics committee’s decision and, alongside the audience, they can enter into a discussion about the result.
The proposals have been selected as they raise interesting questions for science ethics committees and will help reveal the mechanisms that drive this usually hidden process, enabling the wider public to understand the driving forces behind ethical decisions and the role of artists working in scientific settings more deeply.
The project “Trust Me I’m an Artist: Towards an Ethics of Art/Science Collaboration” is led by artist Anna Dumitriu in collaboration with Professor Bobbie Farsides (Chair of Ethics, Brighton and Sussex Medical School) in collaboration with the Waag Society and The University of Leiden.
Event 1: With Adam Zaretsky on Saturday 10th December 2011, 3-6pm at the Waag Society, Amsterdam, Holland.
Event 2: With Neal White on Friday 27th January 2012, 7-9:30pm at The Arts Catalyst, 50-54 Clerkenwell Road, London, UK, EC1M 5PS
Event 3: With Anna Dumitriu on Thursday 1st March 2012, 6-8pm at The Science Gallery, The Naughton Institute, Pearse Street, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Eire.
Event 4: With Art Orienté Objet on Thursday 31st May 2012, 6-8pm at ENS, Paris, France - further details to follow
Imperica Interview
Read a new interview with Anna Dumitriu by Paul Squires here.
Wellcome News Interview
Article by Anna Dumitriu on the importance of public understanding of microbiology here.
Alan Turing Year
Anna Dumitriu is co-chair of the Arts and Culture subcommittee of the Alan Turing Centenary celebrations and has co-curated a touring exhibition, entitled “Intuition and Ingenuity” see here for more information.
Recent Events
"MRSA/MSSA Quilt making" at the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Open Day
As part of the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Open Day, Modernising Medical Microbiology artist in residence Anna Dumitriu ran a 'drop in' MRSA/MSSA (Methicillin resistant and susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteria) quilt making session. Participants were able to create quilt squares using natural and clinical antibiotics on Chromogenic agar and then the squares will be (remotely) inoculated with the bacteria and the results have been posted on the Modernising Medical Microbiology website here: http://www.modmedmicro.ac.uk/art and also will used to create a new artwork which will be exhibited at Anna Dumitriu's forthcoming show at St John's College Barn Gallery in Oxford in May. Participants were able to learn about new developments and technologies in microbiology and had the opportunity to ask her and her colleagues all the questions they've always wondered about bacteria in a relaxed and creative atmosphere. At the Biomedical Research Centre, Churchill Hospital. Oxford, UK on Wednesday 14th March 2012.
“My Robot Companion”
Anna Dumitriu’s collaboration with Alex May, Dr Michael L Walters and Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn of The University of Hertfordshire’s Adaptive Systems Research Group was exhibited at Kinetica in London in February 2012 and then later at Lighthouse, Brighton as part of
the “Intuition and Ingenuity” exhibition, see here for more information.
Citizen Cyberscience Summit 2012
Anna Dumitriu spoke about “The Normal Flora Project: Bacteria and Bioart” at University College London on Friday 17th February 2012 at 5:20pm.
Tres Pilares, Una Conexion: Arte, Ciencia y Technologia in Bilbao
Anna Dumitriu gave the keynote lecture at the above conference at the Goaz Museum in Bilbao on 30th November 2011.
BioArt Workshop in Cairo - November 2011
Anna Dumitriu led the first Bioart workshop in Cairo, Egypt in from 12th -19th November 2011 at the Ahmed Shawky Museum. See full details and photos here.
Infective Textiles as part of Laboratory Life at The Microwave Festival in Hong Kong - November 2011
Lighthouse and The Arts Catalyst presented Laboratory Life at the Microwave Festival in Hong Kong this November. As part of an international exhibition of art labs, we are presenting the five art-science projects made by the artists, doctors and scientists, who transformed Lighthouse into a living science laboratory earlier this year. The projects were conceived by Adam Zaretsky, Andy Gracie, Anna Dumitriu, Bruce Gilchrist and Kira O’Reilly.
EU Conference on the Future of Emerging Technologies in Warsaw
Anna Dumitriu presented her work and discussed the role of art in engaging the public in debates around new technologies at The University of Warsaw on 24th November 2011. See here.
Like Shadows: A Celebration of Shyness
Anna Dumitriu performed her ‘augmented conversation’ artwork “My Heart Laid Bare”, created as artist partner on the Shyness and Pervasive Computing research project, at Brighton’s White Night/Nuit Blanche Festival on October 29th 2011. See here for more information.
Cambridge University Festival of Ideas: Exhibition and Talk
Anna Dumitriu will exhibit the “Communicating Bacteria Dress” and “MRSA Quilt” on October 23 2011 at The Guildhall Cambridge, CB2 3QJ, 11am – 4pm as part of “Science Xchange: Of Science and Art”. she will also participate in a talks session “Science Xchange Gallery Speakers’ Corner” between 1pm and 3pm, see here. Dumitriu has also written a blog post for Cambridge Science Centre here.
Major solo exhibition by international artist, Anna Dumitriu, at
R-Space, Lisburn’s new cultural venue, until 17th September 2011
Order the exhibition catalogue here (See preview at the bottom of the page)
‘Anna Dumitriu: Normal Flora’ was the inaugural exhibition at R-Space @ The Linen Rooms Lisburn, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, Northern Ireland, which opened Saturday 30th July at 2.00pm and ran until 17th September. This major new solo show by international artist Anna Dumitriu blurred the boundaries between art, textile crafts and science. Robert Martin, R-Space Co-Director, has a vision to deliver ground breaking contemporary arts and crafts into Lisburn and Northern Ireland. He explained : “Dumitriu’s work uses a range of digital, biological and traditional media including live bacteria, projections and textiles. Her work has a strong international profile and is held in several major public collections, including the Science Museum in London and she is Leverhulme Artist in Residence on the Modernising Medical Microbiology Project at The University of Oxford. With an exciting programme of exhibitions and events, R-Space wants to engage and connect with the community, as well as other cultural venues, to ensure the City of Lisburn attracts local, national and international audiences’.
The Exhibition: ‘Anna Dumitriu: Normal Flora’ featured a dress patterned using pigments from environmental bacteria and antibiotic embroidery, a large-scale collaborative crochet based on the bacteria from the artist’s own bed, an indigo blue coloured patchwork stained with MRSA bacteria grown on chromogenic agar and patterned with clinical antibiotics and other tools in the research and treatment of this disease, a Whitework embroidered lab coat patterned with images of bacteria and moulds found on it and a new series of works about the emerging field of bacterial communication (in collaboration with Dr Simon Park and funded by The Wellcome Trust). All the works, made in collaboration with scientific experts, have been made sterile prior to exhibition. ‘Normal Flora’ is the name given to the ubiquitous microbes that we co-exist with in our everyday lives.
The newly created video projection made in collaboration with international artist Alex May and microbiologist Dr John Paul – The Art and Science of Linen – looked at the whole ecology of linen from the bacteria used to break down the flax in retting tanks to the industrial production of linen and its cultural importance. It focussed strongly on incorporating images and textures of antique linen textiles, flax flowers, linen production methods (rural and industrial) and the beneficial microbes that help in its production. Dumitriu used similar techniques to previous textile works, incorporating experiments specifically undertaken in preparation for her solo show.
‘Anna Dumitriu: Normal Flora’ opened at R-Space @ The Linen Rooms Lisburn on Saturday 30th July 2011 and ran until 17th September 2011 (Wednesdays – Saturdays, 11am – 5pm). ‘Anna Dumitriu: Normal Flora’ has been kindly supported by Lisburn City Council.
V & A Event 23rd and 24th September
The “MRSA Quilt” and the video mapped “Communicating Bacteria” dress was shown at the V & A Museum in London as part of the Digital Design Weekend for the London Design Festival on 24th and 25th September 2011.
ISEA 2011 in Istanbul
Anna Dumitriu spoke about her work at ISEA in Istanbul on see here for information.
Biosensing and Networked Performance workshop at ISEA 2011 in Istanbul (15th and 16th September 2011 9am-1pm)
Anna Dumitriu, Tom Keene and Alex May led a workshop on Biosensing and Networked Performance at ISEA 2011 assisted by Alex May. For more information see here
Bioart and Textiles: Unnecessary Research and Collaborative Practice in Art and Science Workshop at the Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum
24th August 10-4pm
On this one-day practical and theoretical workshop participants worked with artist Anna Dumitriu to gain an understanding of her practice and methods in combining textile art and microbiology as seen in her "Normal Flora" exhibition at R-Space Gallery in Lisburn and her new work "The Art and Science of Linen". You will learn to stain fabrics with bacteria and moulds and embroider with antibiotic thread (natural and synthetic) to create areas of 'resist' and to work safely with the medium.
The workshop also included an exhibition tour at R-Space, a tour of inspirational exhibits at The Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum, an overview of key bioartists working in the field, an in depth consideration of how to best develop to collaborative projects in art and science, and a discussion about her 'unnecessary research' methods. As Einstein once said: "If we knew what it was we were doing it would not be called research, would it?"
Art and Science Collaborations summer course in Brighton 8-12th August 2011
On this art and science summer course participants worked with Anna Dumitriu to develop a practical and theoretical understanding of art and science collaboration. We discussed the philosophy of science and how this might impact on artwork; considered some of the ethical implications of working with science; and looked at art as a means of developing public understanding of science. We also considered the practical skills necessary to enable participants to progress with their own collaborations, covering issues such as health and safety, and funding. Email here for information on workshops in 2012.
Perspectives tour of ‘Medicine Now’ the Wellcome Collection, London
7th April 2011 at 6:00pm until 6:45pm. There is no need to book (though spaces are limited). Just meet your guide beside the Information Desk on the ground floor. For more information see here.
Northern Arts and Science Network Conference 2011: “Dialogues”
Dumitriu led a performance workshop Northern Arts and Science Network conference 2011: “Dialogues” at The Rose Bowl in Leeds on 19th March 2011. See their website here for bookings or the workshops page here for more information.
An interactive art-science laboratory, exhibition and talks programme which featured DNA tattooing, astrobiology, micro-biological textiles and much more. It showcased the work created by renowned international artists and scientists who transformed Lighthouse into a publicly accessible laboratory. The exhibition featured work by Andy Gracie, Adam Zaretsky, Kira O'Reilly, Bruce Gilchrist, and Anna Dumitriu, made in collaboration with scientists and the participants of the open laboratory. Laboratory Life was organised by Lighthouse and The Arts Catalyst, with support from the Wellcome Trust. It was conceived by artist Andy Gracie, based on the Interactivos? model developed by the Media Lab Prado in Madrid.
Dumitriu exhibited BioReactor at Kinetica Art Fair 2011 a brand new large scale video mapped projection made in collaboration with Alex May. The rear wall of the main gallery space was transformed into a complex bio-digital organism that fed itself from the activity within Kinetica causing it to evolve and metamorphose over time as textural and geometric elements battle between themselves, utilising the physical architecture as an underlying structure to grow and develop on, and (using projective geometry illusions) seemingly distorting and eating away at the wall of the building. 3rd - 6th February 2011.
“A dirty wetware body, thick with bacteria and mutated by electromagnetic fields, learns to feed off the digital technology that surrounds it, leeching energy from every data source and transforming - not only itself but also the world around it.” (Dumitriu). See video here.
Communicating Bacteria
Anna Dumitriu, Dr Simon Park and Dr John Paul were recently awarded a grant to investigate the artistic possibilities of bacterial communication by The Wellcome Trust.
Unleashed Devices
Cybernetic Bacteria 2.0 was shown at Unleashed Devices at Watermans Gallery in London, curated by TINT. Buy the catalogue here.
Ways of Knowing Symposium at University of Hertfordshire
Featured invited external speakers and workshop facilitators:
Prof Simon Biggs, research professor at the Edinburgh School of Art
Mario Caeiro curator of the Skyway Art and Astronomy Festival, Torun
Anna Dumitriu Artist and researcher
Rob Kesseler, Professor of Ceramic Art & Design,Central Saint Martins
Tony Longson, Professor of Art, CalState, Los Angeles
Nicola Triscott, director Arts Catalyst, London
ISEA 2010 RURH
Anna Dumitriu spoke about her project “Cybernetic Bacteria 2.0” at ISEA on 24th August 2010. See here for information, full conference proceedings now published.
Digital Resources for the Humanities & Arts 2010
Anna Dumitriu appeared on the panel” SENSORIUM:
Interdisciplinary practices of embodiment and technology” with Maria X and Professor Janis Jeffries at DRHA10 5th-8th September at Brunel University, London, UK. See here for information.
Lighthouse, Brighton, UK
"The Emergence of Consciousness Project: Investigating machine consciousness though performance art". Event with performance/installation, talks and robot-building 'drop-in' workshop takes place 12-5pm on 25th July 2010 at Lighthouse, Brighton, UK as part of the London 2012 Open Weekend.
Creative Partnerships - Young Curator Scheme
Anna Dumitriu was commissioned as a Creative Partner to work with a group of 12-15 year olds to set up a young curator scheme in a school. The aim of the project to was reveal the hidden creativity taking place in the location and give young people the tools to curate and organise their own art events.
Data Steps - Creative Campus Initiative
Working in collaboration with 17 young people from Brighton Schools Anna Dumitriu is developed an installation which creatively used data collected through electronics embedded in the young people's shoes to affect and enhance film footage and animations based on an engagement with the notion of sporting activity. Highlights of the project have been the organisation of a "Sports Day" flashmob performance in central Brighton and "shoe hacking" workshops where the students have built and soldered sensors and digital readouts to collect the data.
BBC News
BBC News recently published an article entitled “How to cope when the world can watch everything you do” discussing Anna Dumitriu’s work as part of the project “Supporting Shy Users with Ubiquitous Computing Technology”.
Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, China
Anna Dumitriu presented The Emergence of Consciousness project at Digital Arts Weeks at Xi’an Academy of Fine Art in China in late June/early July and also ran a workshop which investigated bringing together performance and locative media art based on the Vienna Underground Project.
Kings College, London
Anna Dumitriu spoke at a half-day Symposium on Artistic Research and Experimentation in Digital Media on 7th July 2010
at the Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, King's College London
BarabásiLab — Center for Complex Network Research, Northeastern University in Boston, USA
Anna Dumitriu presented “Cybernetic Bacteria 2.0” at the Barabasilab, Northeastern University, Boston, USA as part of “Arts, Humanities and Complex Networks” a Leonardo satellite symposium at NetSci 2010. See the video of the conference here.
University College London, Tesla Talk
Anna Dumitriu and Dave Lawrence will be spoke about the KryoLab project as part of the Tesla Talks series in the Garwood Lecture Theatre at UCL London, on 19th February 2010. See details here.
European Mobile Lab for Interactive Art
Anna Dumitriu exhibited Kryolab as part of the e-MobiLArt Project, in Katowice, Poland 28th October 2009 - 15th November, alongside a new collaborative work called Enactive Dialectics. The work was recently shown in Thessaloniki at The State Museum of Contemporary Art Warehouse B1 from May 20th - June 10th see here.
Institute of Culture, Barcelona, Spain
Dr Simon Park and Anna Dumitriu recently spoke at Virreina’s Talks: A GAZE BETWEEN ART AND SCIENCE at The Institute of Culture in Barcelona, Spain on 11th November 2009.
White Night, Brighton
Anna Dumitriu performed and presented her work at Fortune Factory on 24th October as part of The White Night Festival in Brighton. This major experimental art event was co-curated by Anna Dumitriu and included performances and talks by many IUR members.
University of Oxford
Anna Dumitriu presented a paper on the Emergence of Consciousness project at the British Psychological Society’s ‘Consciousness & Experiential Psychology Section Annual Conference 2009: Consciousness and Belief’. The conference took place at Oxford University in September 2009. The title of the paper was “Beliefs, Learning and Embodied Experience”.
The Science Gallery, Dublin
“Cybernetic Bacteria 2.0” was shown at The Science Gallery in Dublin from 16th April to 22nd July 2009. The chemical communication of bacteria and the live data streams of our own digital networks (the wireless/bluetooth/RFID activity taking place in and around the gallery) were combined in real time to generate a brand new artificial life form. This installation explores the layers of complexity in both digital and organic communications networks and investigates the relationship of bacteria to artificial life.
Subtle Technologies, Toronto, Canada
Anna Dumitriu presented a paper about “Cybernetic Bacteria 2.0” at Subtle Technologies in Toronto in June 2009.
Cranfield University, UK
Anna Dumitriu spoke at Cranfield University on 12th November 2008 - details here.
Science Museum, Dana Centre, London
Anna Dumitriu will be exhibited 3D bacterial Auras (in collaboration with Dr Simon Park) and other work at the Dana Centre (Science Museum in London) on 26th November. Details here.
Older News
Anna Dumitriu participated in the European Mobile Lab for Interactive Media Artists (e-MobiLArt), a project tailored around the process of collaboratively creating interactive installation artworks. The e-MobiLArt Project was funded with support from the CULTURE 2007 Programme of the European Union and Anna’s participation was funded by Arts Council England.
Anna Dumitriu spoke at The Tesla Group at University College London on 5th November 2008.
Anna Dumitriu extended her recent work with chemical communication and performed “Love is in the air” where she used the highly questionable technique of using human sex pheromones to engender love, for the White Night Festival.
Anna Dumitriu has recently become an Art in the Public Realm Adviser for AXIS (the artists database). Her recommended artists and critical writing will feature here.
The School Flora Project, commissioned by Brighton and Hove City Council, culminated in a special one evening only event at Varndean School in Brighton, see here for more information.
Anna Dumitriu was recently commissioned by Brighton and Hove City Council to develop a school project called Robot Sound Detectives Algorithm March, described as complex systems theory and evolutionary robotics for 7-11 year olds. Find out more here.
Cybernetic Bacteria - Anna Dumitriu 'talked' to bacteria around the globe using their own communications networks in the Friese Greene Garden, Brighton Media Centre. The event Included a performance, discussion and time for questions, in collaboration with Dr Simon Park. 15th May 2008 at 5:00pm. See recent press here.
Anna Dumitriu recently performed at Shunt Lounge in London see more information here.
Anna Dumitriu was artist in residence for a night commissioned by AXIS see the work produced here.
The Normal Flora Project was featured as part of Intimacy - Beyond Visceral and Digital Culture. Book being published shortly
Anna Dumitriu curated a one day Digiville event for Lighthouse in Brighton, looking at Forms of Life (from bacteria to Artificial life) featuring an Arduino Physical Computing Workshop.
Anna Dumitriu’s project Bio-tracking is featured on the website We Make Money Not Art, see the interview by Regine Debatty here.
Alexanda Kokoli has interviewed Anna Dumitriu for the July Issue of the International Feminist Art Journal n.paradoxa
A short BBC film tour around Anna Dumitriu’s studio was recently shown at The Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius Lithuania, more details here.
Biography
