Untitled Document

Hamsa

Title: Hamsa

Artists: The Tissue Culture & Art Project
(Oron Catts & Ionat Zurr)
Medium: Found Glass Figurine and skin tissue, digital print.
Dimension of original Figurine: 2cm x 1cm x 1cm
Dimension of original Print: 118.5cnx89cm
Date: 1998

Acknowledgments: The Tissue Culture & Art Project is been hosted by
SymbioticA - The Art & Science Collaborative Research Laboratory,
School of Anatomy & Human Biology, University of Western Australia

Additional information about this image:

The Tissue Culture and Art Project (initiated in 1996), is an on-going
artistic research and development project into the use of tissue
technologies as a medium for artistic expression.
Hamsa is one of the early works of the Tissue Culture & Art Project.
It was produced as part of Stage One of the project (supported by PICA and
ArtsWA).

In this stage we grew skin tissue over miniature glass
figurines (both specifically designed and found), that represent
different aspects of human culture. Hamsa is a good lack amulet from
the Middle East which is supposed to protect one from the evil eye. This
glass Hamsa on which we grew the skin tissue was originally part of a
pair of earnings made out of cheap and imperfect glass, which we
bought in the Cabalistic town of Zaphat.

The prediction of the scientists that we collaborated with at the time
was that chances of getting the skin to grow over it were very slim.
To the surprise of all involved the skin tissue seems to grow much better
on this glass than on the scientific grade glass we used for the other figurines.

SymbioticA - The Art & Science Collaborative Research Laboratory
School of Anatomy & Human Biology.
University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway CRAWLEY WA 6009
Mail Bag Delivery Point M309
Phone: +61- 8- 6488 7116
Fax: +61- 8- 6488 1051

http://www.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au