Trish Adams‘ art/science research practice focuses on contemporary developments in biomedical and ecological sciences and their impact on human corporeality. She has delved deeply into areas such as stem cell regeneration and cross-species intersections, which have proven especially productive for her collaborative research and its artistic outcomes.

In a unique cross-disciplinary collaboration with a biomedical scientist at the University of Queensland, Trish personalized laboratory processes through her first-person methodology. In what may be a first for an artist, she used her own unscreened adult stem cells, derived from her blood, as experimental source material.

Later, Trish became a visiting artist at the Visual & Sensory Neuroscience Group at the Queensland Brain Institute, led by Professor Srinivasan. This research group explores the cognitive and navigational abilities of the honeybee, further enriching her exploration of the intersections between art and science.

Can you tell us about your ANAT Synapse residency and where the research has led you?

My ANAT Synapse residency took the form of a collaboration with Professor Mirella Dottori at the University of Wollongong.

Professor Dottori experiments on cellular units known as “organoids” –   these are three‐dimensional (3D) miniaturised versions of organs or tissues that are derived from cells with stem cell potential and can self‐organize and differentiate into 3D cell masses, recapitulating the morphology and functions of their in vivo counterparts.

In order to work on this ANAT Synapse project with Mirella I went into her laboratory to observe experiments being carried out by members of her scientific team. This involvement helped me to come to an understanding of the role organoids can play in various areas of medical research. For example, Mirella is currently engaged in research into the disease Friedreich’s Ataxia, which attacks the senses leading to premature death.

What is the biggest challenge of being an interdisciplinary artist?

For me, the biggest challenge of being an interdisciplinary artist is finding a suitable collaborator. This needs to be a person who does not mind having an outsider like myself come into their laboratory and move around freely to observe experiments etc. In addition, their research needs to be a subject that interests me.

The second big challenge involves the way in which the research is encompassed into the artwork outcome itself. Whilst I want to remain true to the content of the science, the artistic outcome has to move beyond simply reproducing this research. Consequently, the resulting artwork is an entity that I have created. It is my creative response to the science I have observed.

What kind of mentor-mentee relationships have you experienced throughout your years of practice? Is there any particular mentor or mentee that stood out for you?

All of my mentors/scientific collaborators have been wonderfully supportive and helpful, I cannot single out one above another.

They are listed in the order of my time with them which actually followed sequentially one after another according to my developing interests – 

Dr Victor Nurcombe was researching stem cell regeneration. In 1999 scientists made significant breakthroughs, discovering that stem cells could differentiate into other types of cells. Using stem cells from my blood to experiment in Dr Nurcombe’s laboratory I created a uniquely personal response to what was then ground-breaking scientific research. 

Professor M Srinivasan is a worldwide authority on the honeybee. After observing the behaviour of my stem cells during my research with Dr Nurcombe I wanted to find out more about cellular cognitive behaviours. One area of Prof. Srinivasan’s honeybee experiments involved exploring honeybee cognition, so I moved to his laboratory where I could observe the honeybee cognition experiments being carried out there.

I read about the unique visual technologies in use at the Australian Synchrotron. I was intrigued to see what unusual images of honeybees could be created using this equipment. I spoke to Synchrotron Senior Scientist, Dr Chris Hall, who was also interested in honeybees. He was excited by my ideas so I took some honeybees to the Synchrotron in a special container for imaging there. These images showed the functioning internal organs of living honeybees.

In Professor Dottori’s laboratory, I have explored neuronal responses relating to the senses. This follows on from my earlier observations of stem cell regeneration and human sensory systems – research that is in keeping with my specific interests that probe twenty-first-century constructs of humanness.

As an interdisciplinary artist, who and what are your biggest influences?

I would have to say that the scientific collaborator with whom I am currently working is my biggest influence! I have selected them as a collaborator because they are carrying out research on a subject that is currently of interest to me. My collaborators are actually sequential since their work follows on from the previous research I have been carrying out.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am continuing to work with Mirella to develop my 2019 ANAT Synapse project concept. The original installation concept involved viewer interactivity using personal devices such as iPhones or iPads. I now plan to extend this. I want to introduce viewer interactivity with individual devices as before but through more mechanical means of access.

I plan to use QR code accessibility. Set in sensory areas on the installation model’s heads, such as the eyes or ears etc, there will be “dynamic content” or “finder squares.” These respond to the QR code scanners that have been loaded onto each viewer’s individual iPhones or iPads.

The results of this viewer interactivity will be seen on the individual iPhones or iPads, as well as being recorded on the artwork website which is visible online. Through this technology, viewers will engage with queries about the senses and also information about Mirella’s research. As usual, during the development of the artwork, aspects will change due to discussion or in response to details of Mirella’s research itself.