In past few weeks, I been visiting the Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for my son who has been having problems and has had two operations (so far) in past 10 days. An interesting aside if that I came across an art exhibition in the hospital: Cajal Embroidery Project: In Celebration of Neuroscience.
The project celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Cajal Institute named after Santiago Ramón y Cajal who made important contributions to neuroscience research and was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1906.
The art project shows embroideries interpreting Cajal’s drawings created by neuroscientists (some embroidering for the first time), accomplished embroiderers and professional artists. The embroidered panels were to be assembled into a “quilt” for display at a large neuroscience research meeting in the summer of 2020. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the project turned into a therapeutic lockdown activity for embroiderers worldwide. The final piece, comprising 81 panels, will be assembled and displayed in locations around the UK. – https://elhf-tonicarts.co.uk/whats-on/cajal-embroidery-project-in-celebration-of-neuroscience/
“Modern imaging techniques, such as the high magnification confocal photographs displayed here, use fluorescence markers to visualise
cells and this approach is now routinely used in neuroscience research. 100 years ago Cajal was using a ‘Golgi stain’ technique, where the
cells appear dark brown in normal light, and a simple light microscope. Comparing these approaches highlights the astonishing accuracy of Cajal’s hand drawings, and the beauty of our nervous system and brain”.
It is fascinating to observe the crossover between art and medical science and to understand how and why different artists chose a specific approach and perspective. I think these particular pieces seem very well suited to embroidery. Interesting to produce tactile work from something that is unseen inside our heads.
The hospital has other art works on display. I show two of these below. These are of interest as they are 3-dimensional works. The first of these shows strands of neural pathways but each layed over or under other strands to create a 3-dimensional structure. The second shows a geometric pattern designed to mimic the spotlights of the operating theatre over which is overlayed other information which moves according to your prespective. With all such works it can be difficult to display these in a single still image.
One very interesting part of this art exhibition is that when reading up on it I discovered that there are six exhibition spaces within hospitals in NHS Lothian which are managed by Tonic Arts who accept suggestions and proposals. This is something which might prove very interesting for the display of my finished project in a very relevant space.