When graffiti and stencils blend with biotechnology and genetic engineering

 

Puebla, Mexico - May 19, 2023. The Interactive Urban Museum of Puebla (MUI) presents the artwork Bio-Rescriptures by artist Said Dokins as part of the exhibition Atentar desde los códigos (Attack from Codes) which will be showcased throughout the month of May at 4 Norte Street No. 5 in the Historic Center of Puebla, Mexico. The exhibition Atentar desde los códigos curated by Piedad Martínez and Juan Carlos Montes, proposes the need to explore the tensions and conflicts that arise from discourses and exercises of heritage appropriation concerning sociocultural logics. In this exhibition, artists such as Rocío Cerón, Malitzin Cortéz, Ivan Abreu, and Said Dokins present the outcomes of their artistic residency at the Tec de Monterrey campuses in Puebla and Querétaro. Bio-Rescriptures is the latest body of work of the artist Said Dokins that starts with the recognition of the human body as a permeable subject to the advances in the study of the human microbiome. The project comprises various experiments that document the imprints and traces generated through the interaction between different microorganisms and individuals. Through his work, Dokins aims to challenge the traditional notions of the body as a closed and individualized entity, exploring the interconnectedness between the human body, the microbiome, and the environment through a micro-performative exercise that analyzes and relates to the process of scientific knowledge production. Said Dokins, Bio-Rescriptures Itineraries of body and flesh in the public sphere. Installation 2022-2023. Interactive Urban Museum. Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Leonardo Luna Current research on the microbiome confirms microorganisms exist in symbiosis with the human body, engaging in constant information exchange through chemical signals that elicit responses in various metabolic centers. These investigations lead to a better understanding of the human body as an ecological unit, a holobiont in continuous feedback with its environment. The project is presented as an audiovisual installation that combines advanced photography techniques, such as focus stacking, timelapse, video mapping, and biological processes through cell cultures that change and update as the exhibition progresses. "Bio-Rescriptures" is a micro-performative exercise based on analyzing, dissecting, and relating part of the scientific knowledge production process conducted in laboratories to create deviations, experimental alternatives that allow us to explore strange, heterogeneous, and unsuspected connections," comments artist Said Dokins. The installation consists of three moments: recording the growth of microorganism samples collected during the daily itineraries of students from Tec de Monterrey Campus Querétaro, calligraphic executions using pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria from the human body in culture media, and portraits generated through horizontal transfer of human genetic material into bacteria. Corporeal Geographies and Itineraries: Exploring Microbial Landscapes of Human Movement and Bacterial Patterns in Public Space Said Dokins. Corporeal Geographies and Itineraries. Bio-Rescriptures. Interactive Urban Museum. Photo by Leonardo Luna This series aims to document the microbiological patterns of the daily itineraries of 45 students from the Tecnológico de Monterrey. Participants placed their handprints on plates containing nutrient-rich agar and potato dextrose agar supplemented with rose bengal, which were then incubated to visualize the growth of microorganisms. The growth is displayed in the museum over several days until the media dehydrates, creating a dynamic microbial footprint dependent on each person's geographic space. Doctors Aurea Ramírez and Carmen González working with artist Said Dokins in the Bioengineering Laboratory at Tec de Monterrey, Querétaro campus Bio-Writings, Bio-Stencils, and Bacterial Patterns in Culture Media: The Intersection of Writing and Microbiology Surgical steel template, cell culture tubes, and surgical forceps. Instruments used in the creation of bio-stencils in the installation Bio-Rescrituras by artist Said Dokins Bio-Writings are based on calligraphic executions using a bacteriological ink created from the use of pathogenic bacteria from the human body, such as Salmonella and E. coli, as well as non-pathogenic bacteria like Saccharomyces in culture media. In the case of Bio-Stencils, surgical steel templates were used to limit bacterial growth to the shadow areas of Said Dokins' calligraphies. Both Bio-Writings and Bio-Stencils operate within an abstract language that challenges conventional norms and structures, creating a new dialogue between the written and the living. Microorganisms find in the scriptural pattern a medium where they can live and reproduce, becoming a sort of bacteriological ink, the starting point for an overflowing, intertwined, hybrid writing where death and life still coexist in a constant relationship. Artist Said Dokins working in the Bioengineering laboratory at Tec de Monterrey Campus Querétaro. Photo: Leonardo Luna Bio-Fluorescent Writings: The Potential of Bacteria in Calligraphy through Genetic Engineering Portraits. Caligraphic executions using genetically modified bacteria through Horizontal Gene Transfer. Photo: Leonardo Luna Just as the human body is influenced by various microorganisms in its existence, humans have developed sophisticated ways to affect their environment, including microorganisms. Biotechnology and genetic engineering have been used in medicine for insulin production, enhancing plant resistance to pests or gene therapy, etc. In this stage of Bio-Rescriptures, horizontal gene transfer was employed as a mechanism for exchanging information between bacteria. This technique allows for direct modification of genetic material from one microorganism to another, inducing changes in membrane permeability to enable the passage of DNA fragments that are incorporated as small circular DNA molecules called plasmids. For this experiment, a strain of Escherichia coli was used, into which the gene encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP) was inserted. This genetic modification enables the bacteria to emit light when exposed to ultraviolet light, making them bio-fluorescent. The colonies of bioflourecent bacteria were cultivated on selective media and used as a bio-ink to perform calligraphic exercises on petri dishes containing LB culture medium in the presence of arabinose. After the incubation stage, the petri dishes were exposed to ultraviolet light for the visualization of the calligraphic strokes. Portraits. Caligraphic executions using genetically modified bacteria through Horizontal Gene Transfer. Photo: Leonardo Luna Horizontal transfer process with Dr. Paola Angulo. Photo: Leonardo Luna In this project, Said Dokins was not alone. In the laboratory's realm, microbiology, and genetic engineering, he had the valuable contribution of distinguished researchers and professors from Tec de Monterrey Campus Querétaro. Dr. Aurea Ramírez, a doctor of Sciences specializing in the food industry and with profound knowledge in nutrigenomics. Dr. Carmen González, a skilled pharmaceutical chemist specializing in molecular biology, using her expertise to unravel the mysteries of life at the molecular level. And finally, Dr. Paola Angulo, a pioneering scientist focused on the fascinating field of plant biotechnology and genetic engineering. Behind the lens, capturing the essence of the project, was the creative eye of Leonardo Luna, a photographer with the innate ability to immortalize moments and weave captivating visual narratives. Bringing the mapping to life was visionary artist Roberto Palma, whose immersive artistic ability transports us to alternative dimensions and captivates our senses. Lastly, ensuring that the auditory experience resonates perfectly, the talent of Daniel Arp, a sound producer who orchestrated a wet biology-based sound landscape evoking emotions and enriching the narrative of Said Dokins. This exhibition runs until May 29th at the Urban Interactive Museum (MUI), located at 5 North Street, Historic Center, Puebla.

Said Dokins: https://saidokins.com/ His cultural practice includes curating, cultural management, and primarily artistic production and research in various disciplines such as installation, public space intervention, performance, video art, and photography. He began his career as an artist within the graffiti scene in Mexico City in the 1990s. Since then, he has reflected on how alternative cultural practices relate to public space, particularly graffiti as inscription, transgression, linguistic gesture, and political statement. Dokins' interests focus on creating a new visual understanding of the environment through textual elements. He explores the formal, symbolic, and philosophical potential of writing in public space, as well as the tensions between the social fabric of the city, politics, and architecture. Currently, he works at the intersections of art, science, and technology, questioning preconceived ideas about nature and human identity. He studied Visual Arts at the National School of Plastic Arts of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), as well as some studies in Philosophy (FFyL, UNAM) and Critical Theory at the University Museum of Contemporary Art, MUAC-UNAM, in the Zonas de Disturbio program, Campus Expandido. Among other recognitions, he received the Ibero-American Award for Contemporary Artistic Creation Cortes de Cádiz, Juan Luis Vasallo in Spain, 2015. Dokins has gained international attention for his large-scale mural interventions featuring writing in public space. His work has been exhibited in Mexico, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, El Salvador, Peru, among others, highlighting his participation in the Pow! Wow! Doha Urban Art Festival in Qatar (2021) and the International Biennial of Contemporary Art 'OSTRALE' in Germany (2017). His work has been published in books and magazines in Germany, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. His artwork belongs to collections at the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain, the International Street Art Museum STRAAT in Amsterdam, the Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art in Munich, Germany, and the Nuart Street Art Festival in Stavanger, Norway.