CONTACT SOLO EXHIBITION: RADHA CHADDAH - May 17 - 29, 2017
May 17, 2017Radha Chaddah
Opening Reception: Wednesday, May 17th, 6-8pm
Arta Gallery is proud to showcase Radha Chaddah CONTACT solo exhibition: Exodus. A photographic exhibition of cells grown out of human skin.
Informed by her background as a scientist, Radha explores the fascinating microcosm world of cell growth within human skin. Cell biologists have discovered how to transform normal skin cells into embryonic stem cells. The artists actually grew these transformed cells in a petri dish and fed them a liquid diet that allowed them to become neural stem cells, and then brain cells like neurones and astrocytes. Later, she stained the cells to allow visualisation for their internal skeletons.
Exodus explores the rise of science as a religion. The intricate dichotomy between science and religion as both seekers of the knowledge of the universe by different means: reason and empiricism, versus revelation and faith. Based on the book of Exodus as the book of salvation and redemption, modern societies have vested scientific enterprises like regenerative medicine with these same values. Hope for salvation from disease and ageing and the pursuit of the everlasting beg deliverance by scientific discovery. The re-birth, scattering and creation of novel colonies by this transformed celles parallel the story of Exodus with the establishment of a new world remade by the hand of the man.