GOING VIRAL – A SYNOPSIS
The British Society of Immunology is putting on an art-science collaborative exhibition entitled Going Viral in Glasgow this September.  Going Viral is an innovative art-science project.  It is the culmination of a collaborative programme of work undertaken by 6 artists and 4 immunologists. Through their joint exploration of key functions of our immune system – and the daily battles it fights – Going Viral artists have produced artworks that consider, question, interpret and present the immunology they have researched.
Going Viral begins as an exhibition comprising stories, film, sculpture, images and music. The experiences and encounters of those who visit it will spread, virus-like, across real and virtual networks and will continue to grow beyond the life of the exhibition.
Some examples of the art are:
Artist Trevor Cromie is focussing on a representation of the patient’s progression through a life-threatening severe immune response (e.g. anaphylaxis), recovery and its aftermath – and how immunology has made survival possible.  His focus is on the ‘emotional’ impact caused by anaphylaxis.
Jo Hodges is working with a participant group of organ donor recipients to identify an object that they associate with their transplant and take fragments from these objects and image them using scientific techniques and then represent them as artworks. Further to this she will also be exploring the patient’s relationship to immunosuppressant drugs.
Jacqueline Donachie is working with a long term MS patient to explore the prevalence of MS in Scotland, evidence of the impact of sunlight deprivation and family history on the individual’s condition.
Hugh Watt is focussing on the instruments of science, and has developed film and sculpture to explore the unity between science, creativity and the everyday.
Pete Baynes has created a dialogue between the artists and scientists, and has written several songs about things immunological, written to inform, entertain, and open up the world of the immune system.
Architect Ewan Imrie has created a ‘host body’ within which to stage the exhibition.
Going Viral will be at the Glasgow Science Centre from 6th September – 21st October 2012. It is funded by the British Society for Immunology <http://www.immunology.org/> (www.immunology.org <http://www.immunology.org> ), who commissioned Sound Strategies <http://www.sound-strategies.co.uk/> (www.soundstrategies.com <http://www.soundstrategies.com> ) to develop and implement the project.
Please see www.bsigoingviral.org <http://www.bsigoingviral.org> for more information or follow us on twitter @bsigoingviral.