Charlie Murphy _BiopsyJuly 2017_CM5

A skin sample is taken from Charlie's arm by Dr Ross Patterson photo:Fergus Walsh/BBC/CreatedoutofMind

Charlie Murphy _BiopsyJuly 2017_CM2

stills from 'skin to mind' video work in progress, footage by Fergus Walsh/BBC

cuttingbiopsy

Dividing Charlie Murphy's skin sample for cell culturing. Still from 'skin to mind', work in progress on chapter 1 of video series

Screen Shot 2018-03-26 at 23.07.09

stills from 'skin to mind' video work in progress

SkintoMind_Freezingdown03

Phd Researcher Christopher Lovejoy freezing the team's fibroblasts (skincells). Still from Still from 'skin to mind', work in progress on chapter 1 of video series

SkintoMind_Freezingdown02

Phd Researcher Christopher Lovejoy freezing the team's fibroblasts (skincells). Still from Still from 'skin to mind', work in progress on chapter 1 of video series

Incubator 2018-03-27_Shaker

Incubator at UCL Institute of Neurology

20180220_122228 copy

Dyes used to stain and identify different parts of the cells

skintomind_photoErika-Stevenson_Lifespace

Trial projection of 'skin to mind', (chapter 1) presented at Dundee's Lifespace gallery as part of Trajectories exhibition 2018

labbench_20160210_122111

lab bench at UCL Institute of Neurology

skintomindtest_WYPH_10thMarch18_CMurphy

Trial projection of 'skin to mind', (chapter 1) at West Yorkshire Playhouse's 'Every Third Minute' Festival of theatre, dementia and hope 2018 Read More

Planetariumcomposite3_web

Artists impression of a full dome projection presentation of 'skin to mind' video material

Screen Shot 2018-03-26 at 23.20.42

Christopher Lovejoy processing cells under the hood

Neurons_2018-03-24 at 17.28.32 copy

Charlie Murphy's neuronal cultures seen under the microscope

Selina_microscope_2018-03-24 at 17.38.28 copy

Dr Selina Wray checking progress under the microscope

Screen Shot 2018-03-24 at 17.42.04

processing cells under the hood

Screen Shot 2018-03-24 at 11.30.23

Dr Selina Wray replacing Charlie's neuronal cultures in the incubator

Screen Shot 2018-03-26 at 23.22.55

Christopher Lovejoy selecting cerebral organoids in the wells

slicing organoid2

Phil Ball's cerebral organoid is frozen and sliced to examine its intricate cytoarchitecture and composition

stemcells20180123_172916 copy

Example of the Brains in a dish team's neuronal cultures

dish_P1013434_web

Test projections with large lab dish and stand

flask_1013358_web

Test projection with lab flasks

Skin to mind: vdeo series for installation, screenings and dome projection environments

Charlie is developing a mesmerising series of videos which invite audiences on a journey of her cells from ‘skin to mind’.

Shot through the circular frames of lab vessels, dishes and microscopes, each chapter of the video series investigates a key stage in the cell’s development -offering unique insights into the vibrant coded colours, structures and behaviours of the cell growth  and how the impact of dementias are studied on a cellular level.

Drawn into the repetitive, delicate coaxing of feeding, rinsing, splitting, growing and freezing cells, eavesdropping on the intimate relationships/conversations between lab staff  and their cell cultures, viewers will be subtly hypnotised by the powerful intimacy of the human dialogues emerging.

Contrasting poignant personal stories from patient contributors, their families and friends about the challenges, hopes and brutal impacts of the dementias with the seemingly cold, laborious rituals of the laboratory, each chapter of the series will be edited to condense, shift and manipulate our sense of scale and time through the growth/degeneration of the cells.

Interweaving  insights and aspirations of the lab staff with first hand perspectives of people living with dementias; these installations will  highlight the brutal human impacts of dementias and frame some of the profoundly troubling philosophical questions emerging through the groundbreaking capabilities of this field of microbiology.

Partnerships and funding are currently being sought to support the realisation and presentation of this works for a wide variety of contexts and formats.

Skintomind_Roughcut_part1_720Vimeosetting from Louise Murphy on Vimeo.