Hi MLE,

I know you have already seen this, but I am posting for the benefit of our science clients. I'm sure they will appreciate, as we have already had a right laugh about this many times...

#BadStockPhotosOfMyJob

Have a nice weekend!

Suzan

“The Human Cell Atlas is the most exciting initiative to come out of the life science community in a long time. In sickness and in health, cells are the fundamental units of life, and only by knowing our cells will we be able to fully comprehend the mechanisms of human disease.”

- Prof Sten Linnarsson, Professor of Molecular Systems Biology from the Karolinska Institute

[cvg-video videoId='1' width='457' height='257' mode='playlist' /]

Hi MLE,

As you know, a piece of art we created for the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge Massachusetts was officially presented last month - here is a preview. Will post more work soon that we did for this exciting event. A total joy to collaborate with this institute that is making such an impact.

Speak soon!

Suzan

 

 

Hey hey the MLE,

As you know, we share the MOTHandRUST London studio with a few other creatives, which is great and very inspiring. Well, if you actually take the time to talk to people, which I don't do cause I'm a bit of an antisocial workaholic.

Anyway, finally after about two years of sitting near Mr Tak Hoshino I actually stopped by his desk this morning to meet him and to see what he was doing. And I was amazed! I am sharing a studio space with a genius! Who would have known!?

Tak has his Masters in Civil Engineering and is an Architectural Design lecturer at the University of East London. This is one of his latest projects:

- Made a steel ring out of a rod and played for a while
- Replaced my hand holding the ring with an axel
- Replaced my hand holding the axel with a vertical rod
- Replaced my hand turning around the rod with a steering post
- Learn more here, with images:
Biofact

Here are this assumptions:

1. We makes artefacts (prosthetics) to support our biological (mental, physical and collective) existence.
2. Without them we cannot sustain our life
3. Therefore all artefacts are part of our biological existence (biofacts) as tools.
4. All tools have handles, connections to our bodies.
5. They are not supported by the genetic morphogenesis.
6. But by the support of our language (and the structure of social interactions)
Confused? Well, like I said, he is a genius, and as such he obviously is not easy to understand. Unless you speak with the man directly, and when you do it all makes sense…

He had a lovely video on his computer of this device in action, twirling beautifully around someone in a big room. The movements of both the person and machine together were so graceful.

Tak: So, I built my prototype and tested it out and thought - it could help teach people to dance!

Me: Of course, I love it!

Tak: But then I thought it could also serve to demonstrate the movements of the cosmos. The person is the Earth, the smaller wheel the moon, and the larger wheel the sun. Everything moves about the room using the same laws of physics as our solar system (talked in detail about physics here, no idea what he was on about).

Me (thinking in my head): So this is what this guy sitting near me does? WTF? Why don't I talk to people more often?

Me (speaking out loud): Of course, I totally understand! Can I write about this on my blog?
Suzan xxxx

Hey Suzan!

Have you heard of Norwegian scientist/artist Sissel Tolaas? Probably one of the most fascinating people I've ever read about. With a background in mathematics, chemistry and art – she is now known as one of the world's leading "scent experts" – essentially, studying the sense of smell and the power it has in our lives. Among the vast array of things she does, she "collects" scents in a huge library of over 7000 samples that she's been harvesting since 1990. She designs scents, as part of projects which investigate the relationship of smell and memory, which have been used as therapy for trauma patients. She's hired in the commercial world to help decide things like what scents work best in a hotel lobby. And she works with artists creating various scent-installations. I first learned about her in an issue of the journal mono-kultur - where she discusses amazing topics such as - what does fear smell like? Violence? Love? Smell is so deeply provocative, and we're constantly surrounded by an "invisible architecture "of scent. And that being the case, can we understand it better to see if it offers the potential for change? Fascinating, no? Now that's what I call an interesting day job!  Apparently she spoke at the Serpentine Gallery last month - saw this too late as usual - but you must keep an eye out in case she makes any other appearances around London - can't imagine it would be anything less than amazing...

E xox