FIRST MEETINGS OF ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS
In the spring of 2023, first-year students of the Institute of Graphic Design of the Władysław Strzmiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, under the supervision of lecturers: Izabela Jurczyk and Sebastian Komicz, visited the Biobank Laboratory of te University of Lodz, where they became familiar with the laboratory, biobanking and computing infrastructure. They participated in a series of lectures prepared especially for them by experienced scientists from the Biobank Laboratory. Under the supervision of the expert practitioners, they isolated DNA themselves. All this was to present the daily work of the Biobank, the laboratory and the bioinformatics team. The scientists presented the subject of research conducted on the basis of biological material or genetic data and, consequently, showed what positive effects the analytical conclusions obtained this way can bring to society. There was also the more attractive side of science and its presentation from an everyday perspective. The meetings were the first stage of preparations for publishing an educational book on genetics.
The meetings were intended to be an inspiration for students in creating puzzles, tasks and challenges for children. All this to teach in a friendly formula of fun, i.e. the so-called edutainment. During subsequent meetings and substantive consultations, the final formula of the publication was created
– explains mgr inż. Błażej Marciniak from the Biobank Laboratory.
GENIO AND HELISIA ENTER THE GAME
The cooperation resulted in, among other things: the creation of two heroes – Genio and Helisia, who guide young project recipients through the world of genetics and can become an inspiration for children to continue searching for knowledge, and at the same time provide great fun and allow them to spend time on educational inquiries. The book uses space in a non-obvious way – you can find foldable collages, engaging tasks and colourfully illustrated adventures of the heroes mentioned above.
JOINT EXHIBITION AND EDUCATIONAL SPACE
Thanks to the cooperation of the university scientists and creators from the Academy of Fine Arts with the Communications and PR Centre of the University of Lodz, the entire project will be summed up with an interdisciplinary exhibition of students' works entitled "To jest GENialne" [It’s GEN(E)ius]. Inspired by their own projects, students will intervene in the gallery space, creating large-format objects and prints for interactive confrontation for the exhibition participants.
The exhibition will cover the entire space of Wozownia 1/5, starting from the ground floor, through the corridor and its first floor. During its duration, this place will turn into an experimentarium, where visitors will be able to learn directly about the theory and operation of biobanking
– explains Dr Izabela Jurczyk from the Academy of Fine Arts, curator of the exhibition.
The event will be carried out in an open formula encouraging recipients (children) to interact with the works by colouring, drawing, sticking, filling in and solving prepared tasks from the exhibits. The exhibition space will host contextual workshops on genetics or art.
DATES OF THE EXHIBITION OPENING AND WORKSHOPS
- The exhibition will run from 12 April to 1 June.
- The official opening of the exhibition will be held on 12 April at 6:30 p.m.
- The first workshop, during which children will be able to isolate DNA themselves, will be held on 13 April at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., and the next one will be held on 11 May at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Parents with children can take part in the workshops after prior registration. Registration details will be provided in the next information.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORKSHOPS
We invite children and young people to participate in workshops organised by the Biobank Laboratory of the University of Lodz:
- Have you ever wondered why a strawberry looks like a strawberry and not like an onion?
- Why are some fruits redder?
- Why are some are more round and others are oblong?
- Why do some people run faster and others play chess better?
- Why do some people have green eyes, others blue and other people eyes of two different colours?
The structure of each organism is determined by a special recipe. The recipe is written using only 4 letters. It takes about 720 million "letters" to write down the "recipe" for strawberries, compared to 3.2 billion for humans.
Recipes are written using proteins in the DNA code. During the workshops, you will learn the secrets of this code and isolate DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid strands – on your own.
During the workshops, the following issues related to genetics will be presented:
- what is DNA, what effect does it have on organisms and how does it affect our health?
- what is a chromosome?
- what do biobank laboratories do?
- how can we support learning?
As part of the games and practical tasks, we will provide the following tasks:
- cell structure – work with a 3D model,
- sample anonymisation – educational game,
- DNA strand construction – educational game,
- DNA isolation – practical classes (performed independently by workshop participants).
INFORMATION ON REGISTRATION FOR THE WORKSHOPS
- a number of participants: 12 people
- registration via:
Forms for the May workshops will be available in April.
Note! The order of applications is decisive.
- children participate in the workshops together with their guardians
THE LIST OF THE EXHIBITION CREATORS
- Curator: Dr Izabela Jurczyk
- Project coordinator from the Biobank Laboratory of the University of Lodz: Błażej Marciniak
- Project coordinator from the Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź: Sebastian Komicz
- Visual identification of the exhibition: Michalina Głusek
- Photographic documentation of the project and exhibition: Sebastian Komicz
- Ola Geppert – author of a design of illustrations promoting activities of the Biobank Laboratory
- Natalia Góralczyk – author of illustrations and large-format graphics about the operation of the laboratory
- Dominik Grzelak – author of the cover of the publication and materials promoting the exhibition
- Marta Juchnik: author of illustrations and the interactive maze
- Basia Kaszewska – author of the design of the illustrations of the two main characters Helisia and Genio along with the main elements navigating the publication
- Zuzanna Michalik – author of illustrations of plant and animal cells
- Patrycja Naze – author of the “stwórz swoje DNA” [create your own DNA] illustration
- Zosia Pohl – author of illustrations and the large-format graphic KOMPLEMENTARNOŚĆ [COMPLEMENTARITY]
- Wojciech Popławski – author of a comic book story with a black cat and a recipe for DNA isolation
- Kamil Oktawiusz – social media
- Antonii Pucek – social media
- Martyna Sokołowska – author of illustrations
- Ala Stepnowska – author of the illustration "Ubierz Laborantkę" [Dress up the laboratory technician]
- Olgierd Sumeradzki – author of the illustrations
- Volha Vaitovich – author of the illustrations and the spatial object of the DNA chain
- Ania Ulatowska – author of illustrations and the large-format graphic "GENIO wie i Ci powie" [GENIO knows and will tell you]
- Anastazja Zelenskaya – author of the graphic/mural "z jakich genów jesteś zbudowany" [what genes you are made of]
- Hanna Żydonik – author of the concept of the means layout
Substantive consultations:
- Michalina Mikłos-Rakowska
- Katarzyna Janik-Superson
- Michał Seweryn
- Klaudyna Królikowska
- Monika Baranowska