Okay so i figure this kind of blog is a great way to chart the process of my laboratory projects, especially seeing they are becoming more long term, and there'll be periods where there's not much going on with them, and i wont be making note anywhere of whats actually happening, or not happening as may be the case.So: Right now I am in Amsterdam. I'm in contact with HIV research scientists, mostly molecular biologists. The first point of contact was Rafael Van den Bergh from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Immunology (CMIM) Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Building E, room E8.07, Pleinlaan 2 , B1050 Brussels, Belgium, tel. +32-2-629.19.77, mobile +32-472-65.44.02, email rvdbergh@vub.ac.be. He was found through Sophie, via a woman at UCD (Dublin), and he's been really helpful in giving us the heads up on the current state of research with the virus, and what may and may not be possible with our project. The second point of contact was Prof Dr. Ben Berkhout, from the Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam.After a lenghty wait for his reply, he's not sure he can be of much help, but is happy to meet with me, so I will make an appointment through his secretary, and see what happens. The Thrid contace it Lot de Witte, a PhD researcher at the Vrije University Medical Centre, who is doing HIV research which includes visual imaging. She seems quite excitied about the project, and I have a good feeling about her. She is keen to meet and talk about both mine and her research, and has passed my email on to her supervisor, Theo Geijtenbeek, so will wait and see if he contacts me also.We are very interested in any kind of visual imagery relating to the virus itself, and expected there would be some kind of moving footage available, from an electron microscope/video camera with microscopic lense attachments, however Rafael says he has never heard of anything like this. It's strange because I know at SymbioticA they get time lapse footage of cells in action using this technique at their Image Analysis and Aquisition Facility (IAAF). So hopefully the imaging team at Vrije Uni will know more about this.
About Me
- ALICIA KING
- Alicia King is an Australian interdisciplinary artist. Her practice explores biological relationships between humans, animals and the wider environment, and alludes to that which generally lies outside of the everyday category of the ‘living’. In 2009 Alicia was awarded a PhD - Transformations of the flesh; rupturing embodiment through biotechnology - an artistic exploration of relationships between biotech practices and the physical, ethical and ritual human and animal body. Her practice spans sculpture, video, biotech, installation and performance. In recent years she has developed biotech art projects at SymbioticA, as well as the University of Tasmania School of Medicine, and the Vrij University Amsterdam. Alicia has exhibited throughout Australia and beyond, most recently in VISCERAL, at Science Gallery, Dublin. She is recipient of various state and national funding grants, and international Residencies including the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris; Vrij Glas Foundation, Amsterdam; and Foundation B.A.D, Rotterdam. She is represented in the Fehily Contemporary and MONA Museum Collections. http://www.aliciaking.net
2 comments:
I am reading your research with great interest as it overlaps with many questions I am also asking in my art practice and Phd research.
There is an university in the USA that has taken live colour moving images of HIV1. Memory fails me at the moment--I cant remember which one--but I can email you with more details directly.
Hey(is this Tagny?) thanks I actually found the guy i think you're talking about - Thomas Hope from Chicago Uni. Yeah his images are pretty amazing, i'm working on a video piece using them at the moment...
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