2019
motor, microcontroller, hand-spun laboratory llama wool, orphaned keys, acrylic
dimensions variable
Transformation Timer reimagines a time keeping device for a routine biotech laboratory technique. In biology, bacterial transformation is a process of introducing foreign DNA into bacteria. This motorized sculpture intermittently rotates to agitate a cascading arrangement of colliding keys. The motor is timed to rotate every 90 seconds, the time it takes in some lab protocols for an E. coli cell to take up a DNA plasmid during bacterial transformation. The chiming keys reference the "lock and key" metaphor used to explain cellular biology and the function of antibodies.
Transformation Timer reimagines a time keeping device for a routine biotech laboratory technique. In biology, bacterial transformation is a process of introducing foreign DNA into bacteria. This motorized sculpture intermittently rotates to agitate a cascading arrangement of colliding keys. The motor is timed to rotate every 90 seconds, the time it takes in some lab protocols for an E. coli cell to take up a DNA plasmid during bacterial transformation. The chiming keys reference the "lock and key" metaphor used to explain cellular biology and the function of antibodies.
...Through a diverse range of media and techniques, Laura Splan weaves a multifarious narrative of science. At times, Splan’s work brings to mind the Brothers Grimm, the miller’s daughter spinning straw into gold, a transmutation of material through manual labor and a bit of magic, unlocking secrets through a process of attribution...
...Splan portrays the scientific process in all of its slowness and setbacks. The sounds and tactile experiences evoke a sanctity of space, creating an ambiance that’s almost reverent in its effect...
Project Support provided by The Science Center Bioart Residency, Integral Molecular, Esther Klein Gallery, The Knight Foundation
Exhibitions include Esther Klein Gallery
Orphaned and off-cut keys donated by Billy’s Locksmith, WR Hardware, Four Seasons Hardware
