This page features all the current exhibitions and project news. See the talks and workshops pages for information on those forthcoming events. Find new publications, magazine articles, interviews, TV coverage and podcasts here and new books and catalogues here. For past exhibitions see here or visit the specific project page in the main portfolio or biography information.
Black Rock Beachcombers
Black Rock Beachcombers are three innovative public sculptures created for the new boardwalk at Black Rock on the city of Brighton’s eastern seafront on the south coast of Britain. Combining 3D photogrammetry scanning and 3D modelling these 3D printed digital collages reveal hidden stories about the nature, the people and the engineering of this historic and important coastal location. Commissioned by Brighton & Hove City Council as part of the Black Rock Rejuvenation Project, the works were made following discussions with residents and stakeholders and all the elements are very meaningful to the city. The sculptures are designed by Brighton-based, internationally renowned artists Anna Dumitriu and Alex May.
Anna Dumitriu and Alex May will lead guided tours of the Black Rock Beachcombers as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival at 2pm on 3rd, 10th, and 17th May 2025. Book here.
Susceptible in Cairotronica Festival, Cairo, Egypt
“Susceptible” is being exhibited as part of Cairotronica Festival 2025 in Cairo, Egypt from 21st – 28th April 2025. under the theme ‘Out-Natured’.
INVISIBLES: La Vie cachée des Microbes Exhibition at the Musee De La Main in Lausanne
“Ex Voto”, “Fragile Microbiome”, “Microbe Mouth”, “Super-organism: The Living Microbiome”, “Fermenting Futures”, and “The BioArchaeology of Yeast” is now on show as part of “INVISIBLES. La vie cachée des microbes” at the Musee De La Main in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The exhibition explores a fascinating and little-known world, that of the microorganisms that surround us. Omnipresent, but invisible, microbes form communities essential to the functioning of all ecosystems on our planet. From soils to oceans, including air, plants and even the human body: the exhibition invites you to discover this vast unknown land which will not fail to surprise you. The exhibition opened on 26th June 2024 and continues until 30th August 2026
“Fermenting Futures” in “Touch Nature” at the Lentos Museum in Linz, Austria and INVISIBLES: La Vie cachée des Microbes Exhibition at the Musee De La Main in Lausanne
“Fermenting Futures” is part of “Touch Nature“ at the Lentos Museum of Art, in Linz, Austria. The exhibition runs from 24h January 2024 to 18th May 2025. A catalogue of the exhibition is available.
“Fermenting Futures”, and “The Bioarchaeology of Yeast” is now on show as part of “INVISIBLES. La vie cachée des microbes” at the Musee De La Main in Lausanne, Switzerland. The exhibition opened on 26th June 2024 and continues until 30th August 2026.
“Fermenting Futures” explores and physically contains a CRISPR modified Pichia pastoris yeast that is simultaneously able to capture carbon and output lactic acid for the manufacture of biodegradable PLA plastic – for 3D printing. The sculpture comprises a glass vessel containing the bubbling modified yeast, sustained by a mass of tubes. 3D printed yeast forms, including one which incorporates the yeast-produced PLA plastic swarm across the container.
ArchaeaBot: A Post Singularity A Post Climate Change Life-form in Topologies of the Real: Techne at Meixihu Contemporary Art Museum in Changsha City, China
“ArchaeaBot: A Post Singularity A Post Climate Change Life-form” is part of Topologies of the Real: Techne”, Exhibition Halls 3 and 4 of Meixihu Contemporary Art Museum, Changsha City, Hunan Province, China. The exhibition runs from 19th February 2025 to 15th June 2025. The exhibition is curated by Zhang Ga.
“ArchaeaBot: A Post Climate Change, Post Singularity Life-form” (2018-19) is an underwater robotic installation by Anna Dumitriu and Alex May that explores what ‘life’ might mean in a post-singularity and post-climate change future. Based on new research on archaea (a group of unicellular micro-organisms believed to be the oldest form of life on earth adapted to life in extreme conditions) combined with the latest innovations in artificial intelligence and machine learning, the artists have tried to create the ‘ultimate’ species for the end of the world. A version of ArchaeaBot was acquired by ZKM for their collection in 2023.
“ArchaeaBot” premiered as part of “Error in Progress” at the Ars Electronica Festival in 2018 and has subsequently toured to; LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial in Gijón, Spain; Rencontres Bandits-Mages “Unstable Reality and Shifting Knowledge: Mending the Fabric of the World” in Bourges, France; IMPAKT in Utrecht, Netherlands as part of “A World Without Us”; Kunstmuseum Moritzburg for the Silbersalz Festival in Halle, Germany; the 18th WRO Media Art Biennale in Wroclaw, Poland; HeK in Basel, Switzerland in “Entangled Realities – Living with Artificial Intelligence”; Furtherfield in London, UK as part of “Time Portals”; “On/Off” at the Museum of Ethnography in Lviv, Ukraine; “Oceans 4.0” at FACT in Liverpool, UK; “Submerge” at the Science Gallery Bengaluru, India; Survival of the Fittest at Kunstpalais Erlangen, Germany; “Quarantine” as part of the Ars Electronica 2020: Adriatic Garden, curated by Kontejner as part of their EMAP Programme and at Art Workshop Lazareti Dubrovnik, Croatia; and in EFECT DE LA MICRO LA MACRO in the QUANTUM QUESTIONS 2020 Festival by Centrul Cultural Clujean in Cluj-Napoca, Romania; ALIFE 2021 Conference (online); EMAP Ars Electronica Garden (online); Under the Viral Shadow, Art Laboratory Berlin, Germany, Supernatural at Oulu Museum of Art, Finland, and Such Stuff as Worlds are Made on at Spazju Kreattiv in Valetta, Malta, BIOMEDIA at the Le Centre Des Arts Enghien-les-Bains, 23rd Triennale Milano International Exhibition, Milan, Italy, Synthetic Ecology – The Beijing Art and Technology Biennale at CUBE Art Center in the 798 Art Zone in Beijing, China, Supernatural: Sculptural Visions of the Body at Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan, Topologies of the Real: Techne Shenzhen” at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning (MOCAUP), Shenzhen, China, the Le Musée de la Main, Lausanne, Switzerland, Bastion 2 as part of BioArt Revolution for Timisoara 2023 European Capital of Culture, Romania, and was most recently exhibited in “AI: Artificial Intelligence” at CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain, 2023-2024.
Four works to feature in the 16th Triennale Kleinplastik Fellbach
The Cholera Dress, The Syphilis Dress, The Hospital Acquired Infection Gown, and AI and Infection Prevention will feature in the 16th Triennale Kleinplastik Fellbach 2025 will take place in Fellbach, Germany from 24th May to 28th September 2025. This edition is curated by Claudia Emmert and Ina Neddermeyer.
Biotechnology from the Blue Flower in Gene Cultures at MIT Museum, Cambridge (USA)
Biotechnology from the Blue Flower is now on show in a major exhibition “Gene Cultures” at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA which opened to the public on 2nd October 2022 and continues until 2025. “Biotechnology from the Blue Flower” explores the cultural history and morphology of the chicory plant and investigates how new plant breeding methods such as CRISPR gene editing can be used to create future healthcare and food benefits. Chicory inspired the idea of the Blue Flower in German Romanticism, and became a central symbol of the movement. It inspired Goethe’s concept of the ‘urpflanze’ or original plant in his “Metamorphosis of Plants”. The romantic movement was a reaction to the industrial revolution and held nature and emotion in the highest esteem. Now we are part of a biotechnological revolution, and again the blue flower becomes an important symbol. This time in a more complex position at the interface of nature and technology, central to societal explorations of what may be acceptable in synthetic biology, and how ‘nature’ and ‘natural’ may be defined in the future. The 3D printed sculpture is based on high resolution photogrammetry scans of a chicory plant known as ‘clone 37’, and it contains actual traces of CRISPR modified protoplasts and leaves, which the artists created in the lab. The whole genome sequence of the plant is projected behind, with all the repeating DNA sequences have been removed, returning it to Goethe’s concept of the ‘original plant’. Created by Anna Dumitriu and Alex May through an artists’ residency with the EU CHIC Project.
Physic AI Garden Building Projection and Uninhibited Faba installation on show as part of Plant Power at Groundwork Gallery in Norfolk, UK
“Uninhibited Faba” and “Physic AI Garden” are on exhibition as part of Plant Power at Groundwork Gallery in Kings Lynn in Norfolk, UK. The exhibition runs from 7th March – 14 June 2025. “Physic AI Garden” is also being projected on the historic Customs House building in the town.
Uninhibited Faba (2023) takes the form of a series of artworks that explore the history and future of the humble faba bean (Vicia faba) and how it can help us mitigate climate change, improve food security, and fix nitrogen. The project looks at aesthetic and ethical issues around innovative biotechnological research to improve faba bean crops and enable the so-called ‘protein transition’ from a meat-based to plant-based diet that can better support human and animal health.
There will be an ‘in conversation’ event at the Groundwork Gallery on the “Art and Science of the Faba Bean” with Anna Dumitriu in conversation with Chris Ridout and colleagues from the John Innes Centre on Tuesday 13th May 2025. View the work and join the conversation, about the history, research and potential future of this sustainable food source with Anna and a panel of scientific experts. See more here.
“The Mutability of Memories and Fates” recent solo exhibition at Alte Saline, Hallein, Austria
This recent solo exhibition “The Mutability of Memories and Fates” brought together all the works from the series of the same name, including new never before presented works, for the first time at Alte Saline in Hallein, Austria from 5th – 20th September 2024. The exhibition presented a series of artworks resulting from artistic research of epigenetics and stem cells. The artist, Anna Dumitriu, picks up the scientific expressions of “cell memories” and “cell fates, drawing connections between scientific uses and cultural or poetical meanings of these terms playing with notions of alchemical transformation and myth-making. There was an accompanying events programme. The exhibition was a collaboration with Schmeide, in cooperation with The Helmholtz Zentrum Munich and subnet, curated by Claudia Schnugg.
“I love this project and I think it is extremely rich, multi-layered and an exceptional collaboration” (Claudia Schnugg)
Biomaterials Chandelier AR created through the EU S+T+ARTS Programme Better Factory Programme
Anna Dumitriu has developed a new body of artworks that explore how biomaterials and augmented reality can impact sustainability and the circular economy in the wine industry with the EU S+T+ARTS Better Factory programme. Her spectacular Biomaterials Chandelier AR (2024) is an intricate hand-made chandelier installation made using wine waste, specifically biotextiles made using spoilt wine and feccia (final grape pressing) kombucha SCOBY (symbiotic cultures of yeast and bacteria), and bio-plastics and bio-composites from wine waste (grape marc and vine clippings) – all from scratch.
The biomaterials have been cast into forms inspired by photogrammetry scans from the winery of project partners Marco Felluga (Italy), and recipes released open source. The chandelier triggers a generative augmented reality app #artandwineAR that gives every user a unique experience. It is accompanied by a sonification of fermentation data produced from IoT Smart Corks created by collaborating technology company BUBAMARA-V from Serbia. See more here. The opening ceremony of the exhibition of the project with the artist took place at Russiz Superiore Winery in Italy on 25th July 2024 and the work was part of “Behind the Design” at the GLUE Festival, Waag Futurelab, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 11am – 5pm, between 19th – 22nd September 2024.
Download the app for Apple iOS devices here
Download the app for Android devices here
Biotechnology from the Blue Flower Augmented Reality App
“Blue Flower” a standalone Augmented Reality (AR) app is now available for iPhone/iPad/Android devices http://onelink.to/blueflower. The gene edited plants represented here are not normally allowed to leave the laboratory in many countries but through augmented reality users can transgress the rules, fill the world with them, and take and share photos. The app also accompanies the sculptural installation in exhibitions enabling audiences to playfully interact with the work.
New Collaboration Exploring the Uses of AI in Infection Prevention and Control
Anna Dumitriu and Alex May are collaborating with Dr James Price (Brighton and Sussex Medical School), Sid Mookerjee (University Hospitals Sussex) and Ashleigh Myall (NEX.Q) to artistically explore novel new research which offers to improve infection prevention and control (IPC) in hospital settings using artificial intelligence. In the first stages of the project the artists are exploring how the AI infection prevention system works by applying it to a historic data set based on John Snow’s research on the 1854 Cholera outbreak in Broad Street, London, considered to be the first epidemiological study ever conducted. The artists are in the process of fabricating a far more detailed data set using AI tools, and simulations that bring the outbreak to life and will show us if modern AI could have helped stop the outbreak sooner, or even prevented it from ever happening. Other elements of the project explore how to engage audiences in understanding the meaning and implications of healthcare associated infection (HCAI). Work in progress was be exhibited as part of FIS2024 in Liverpool, where the artists were be in conversation with Dr James Price.
Supported by Brighton and Sussex Medical School and University of Sussex Higher Education Innovation Funds (HEIF), supporting a wider program of work in Sussex on translational clinical research in IPC through collaborations with academia, clinical, industry and patients/public.
Anna Dumitriu Appointed Artist in Residence at Leeds Biomedical Research Centre
In an exciting development bridging science, art, and public engagement, internationally acclaimed BioArtist Anna Dumitriu has been appointed as Leeds Biomedical Research Centre Artist in Residence for the 2023–2028 funding cycle. Anna will leverage her background in BioArt to bring unique insights to research themes, including Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Infection, led by Dr Jane Freeman. Dr Freeman, Deputy Theme Lead for AMR and Infection, has collaborated with Anna on numerous occasions, including the recent successful exhibition “Fragile Microbiomes” at the Thackray Medical Museum. The show garnered attention for its thought-provoking exploration of microbial ecosystems and their impacts on health, showcasing how art can serve as a compelling medium for complex scientific ideas.
The success of the AMR and Infection collaboration has set the stage for further interdisciplinary innovation across the centre’s other research themes. Anna’s work with Leeds BRC underscores the growing value of artistic partnerships in healthcare research—especially as more funding bodies prioritise creative outreach and dissemination strategies. By fostering engagement beyond traditional academic audiences, Anna’s residency will encourage new perspectives and a broader public understanding of pressing healthcare challenges.
EU VOICE Project: Greening the Lab with Anna Dumitriu
The EU funded VOICE project uses a new approach where artists take the lead in Art-Technology-Society Interactions (ATSIs), bringing communities together to solve environmental problems co-creatively. The first phase of the VOICE project is the pilot phase, where this approach is tested. Anna Dumitriu was one of six artists funded as part of the pilot phase to develop her project “Greening the Lab: Decarbonising Biomedical Science” which brought together communities of scientists, medics, healthcare workers, patients and the public to explore how biomedicine can be more sustainable.
“Greening the Lab: Decarbonising Biomedical Science” received funding from a Horizon Europe project called VOICE. Through artist-led interventions (ATSIs), VOICE encourages citizen engagement to tackle local and regional environmental challenges effectively. To learn more about the VOICE community, visit the project website or social media channels (LinkedIn, Instagram).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HADEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Project Exploring Epigenetics, Conflict and Intergenerational Trauma
This project takes the form of an urgent artistic research exploration of the epigenetic impact of violence, conflict and famine with a focus on intergenerational trauma.
The team comprising Anna Dumitriu, and Professor of War and Society, Rachel Kerr, and curator Cécile Bourne-Farrell from Kings College London are inspired by research into what is known as the Dutch Hunger Winter cohort. The Dutch Hunger Winter was a famine brought about by the Nazi’s who blockaded food supplies in the Netherlands in 1944 as a punishment for railway workers strikes aimed at preventing the movement of Nazi troops. It has been shown that the children of women pregnant during the famine have higher levels of obesity and diabetes, and a have a higher mortality rate. It has been shown that certain genes have been silenced in these children’s DNA potentially affecting their metabolisms. How many children being born now in Ukraine or Gaza will be damaged in this way?
Professor Maria Elena Torres-Padilla, Head of the Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells at the Helmholtz Zentrum in Munich, Germany is the project’s scientific advisor, and this work builds on learning from their “Mutability of Memories and Fates” project. The project initially received seed funding from Kings College London’s Sanctuary Season.
New Collaboration with the Oxford University Exploring One Health and Resistance
Researchers from Modernising Medical Microbiology (MMM) at the University of Oxford will collaborate with Anna Dumitriu, to develop a high impact, ground-breaking new body of artworks exploring the nested microbial genetic and ecological systems that influence and entangle human, animal, and climate health through antimicrobial resistance (AMR) via a “One Health” perspective. The project will result in an engaging new body of artworks that communicate key themes in our research around AMR, one of the most significant but complex and misunderstood threats to humanity. The project will explore how issues like climate change, rain and wastewater management, food insecurity and conflict are all implicated in the drivers and impacts of AMR and how we use new technologies such as whole genome sequencing and microfluidics to identify and understand AMR.
Invisible You: The Human Microbiome as part of Invisible Worlds at Eden Project
The flagship exhibition Invisible You: The Human Microbiome is part of Invisible Worlds initiative at Eden Project in Cornwall, UK. Invisible Worlds is an ongoing major permanent exhibition that reveals the world beyond our senses introducing the interconnectedness between life and the Earth’s environments. The exhibition features Don’t Try This At Home (in collaboration with Dr Jane Freeman and Dr Caroline Chilton) and Super-organism: The Living Microbiome.