Brains in a Dish

Selina Cell Culture installation part of Brains in a Dish exhibition at Cooper Gallery, Barnsley 2022-3

Brains in a Dish exhibition at Barnsley's Cooper Gallery 2022-3

in search of self installation at Cooper Gallery, Barnsley 2022-3

Brain Body interface in Digital Space @ The Glassworks, Barnsley 2022

'skin to mind' digital video projection, part of Trajectories exhibition 2018 at Lifespace Dundee photo: Erika Stevenson

Spontaneous synapse as seen at at The Lowry as part of The State of Us exhibition 2019-20

Dr Esther Sammler from Dundee's Life Sciences Dept photo: Erika Stevens

ARUK's Reframing Dementia exhibition, London photo:Andy Tyler

'Untitled' (migration) trial installation at Created out of Mind residency showcase in Wellcome's Hub, 2018

The Incredible organoids as presented at The Lowry as part of The State of Us exhibition 2019-20

'studies for neurons' at Dimensions of Dementia event, London, 2017

in vitro projections shown at UCL for Bloomsbury Festival 2018

'skin to mind' at West Yorkshire Playhouse for 'Every third minute' festival 2018

'studies for neurons' part of Trajectories exhibition 2018

Dr Selina Wray encounters Charlie's 'skin to mind' video work in progress at 'Dimensions of Dementia' event, London 2017

Audience response to glass sculptures at ARUK's Reframing Dementia exhibition, London

'in vitro' projection at The Royal Institute's for 'Understanding Alzheimers' event

'in vitro' at Dundee's Lifespace gallery photo: Erika Stevens

'skin to mind' at Folkestone's Normal? Festival of the Brain 2018 photo: Manuel Vason/ Normal Festival of the Brain Read More

Creative responses to cutting-edge dementia research

We regularly present innovative artworks and immersive installations inspired by dementia research and all the related materials, tools and creative skills acroos art and science.

Recent exhibitions at Barnsley’s Cooper Gallery and Glass Works Digital Space included exciting large scale kinetic installations with glass, light, machine vision and body recognition software.

Our Barnsley presentation presented a selection of works from over seven years research, engagement and collaboration by Charlie, with Prof Selina Wray’s dementia research team at University College London and electronics engineer Robin Bussell.

An array of delicate, colourful glass sculptures, playful and immersive digital tools including robotic lasers, intricate glass sculptures and image projections have been developed to illuminate and animate our understandings of the brain and raise awareness about the powerful processes and technologies used in dementia research.

Charlie and Robin are also developing innovative new immersive digital installations in  collaboration with Dr Eric Hill at Aston and Loughborough Universities.

View a virtual 360 tour of our Barnsley exhibition here !

The Barnsley’s Brains has been financially supported by Barnsley Museums & Heritage trust, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Alzheimer Research UK’s Inspire Fund and the National Lottery through Arts Council England. We would also like to thank staff from Cooper Gallery, Barnsley Museums Mark Segal (The Arists Agency) , Mini Melt Glass , The Glass Hub and Chemglassware Ltd for their kind support in realising this project.

Previous Brains in a Dish presentations include :

Synaptic @ The Old Operating Theatre + Herb Garrett Museum, London (till 3rd April 2022)

Skin to Mind, Normal? Festival of the Brain, Folkestone (2018)

Activism Hub at UCL, Bloomsbury Festival,London ( Oct 2018)

Understanding Alzheimers at The Royal Institution, London (Oct 2018)

Created Out of Mind residency showcase, The Hub, Wellcome Collection, London (July 2018)

Trajectories exhibition at Lifespace Gallery, Dundee (Feb-June 2018)

Reframe Dementia Alzheimer’s Research UK exhibition at Oxo Tower Gallery, London (April 2018)

Every Third Minute: a festival of theatre, dementia and hope , West Yorkshire Playhouse’s , Leeds (March 2018)

Creative Reactions : Dimensions of Dementia,  event , London (Oct 2017)

Powerful Partners, Royal Society of Public Health, London (Nov 2017)