Stories retold: site-specific installation at the Broad Institute

I recently installed a site-specific installation titled “Stories retold” for the Artist in Residence Program’s exhibit at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

This installation combines images of magic spells that were traced from a copy of the Edwin Smith papyrus—the first medical textbook to include prognosis in the history of civilization. The papyrus is from ancient Egypt, 1600 BC. The script was written in hieratic, an ancient Egyptian form of writing. Most of the magic spells were written on the verso side of the papyrus. The images in this piece are constructed from traced magic spells that were used as treatments in ancient world.

The traced magic spells were made into drawings first, and then laser cut on vellum paper. The laser cut drawings on vellum paper were scanned and edited in Photoshop. The images on each decal contain ancient magic spells for various diseases. The sizes of the circles were based on three different sizes of petri dishes.

The shape on the floor was inspired by the artistic rendering of the Congo River by Stephen Gire, a researcher who worked in Congo during the Ebola outbreak. The river in his photograph takes shape of Ebola virus in the forest suggesting the ancient origin of the virus.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of words and beliefs in the past year, and thinking about connections to our ancient roots.

In this site-specific installation, I’m examining our ancient beliefs in medicine—what we have passed on for generations, what we have lost, what we have forgotten, what we have learned, and what we still believe.

"Stories retold" 

Site-specific installation

196 decals

2016 - 2017

“Stories retold” and other works will be on view in the lobby and mezzanine at the Broad Institute until the end of summer. The lobby and mezzanine are accessible to the public during the business hours.

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

415 Main Street

Cambridge, MA

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 7pm