Anna Dumitriu Blog

22nd March 2020

“Teeth Marks” is a body of artworks by artist Anna Dumitriu exploring the strange histories and emerging futures of dentistry. The project looks at the societal and psychological impacts of this defining field of medicine through a deep investigation of the Birmingham Dental Hospital Historic Collection and collaboration with present day researchers who work at […]

29th February 2020

“Ex Voto” (2016 onwards) is an ongoing participatory artwork and major installation that explores the impact of infectious diseases and antibiotics on our lives, created through the making of ‘votive offerings’ during drop-in story sharing workshop sessions. These secular ‘votive offerings’ reference those found in religious settings symbolising a wish or giving thanks for its […]

1st March 2020

Anna Dumitriu created “Don’t Try This At Home” (2015) commissioned by Eden Project for their permanent exhibition “Invisible You. The Human Microbiome” which now forms a key part of their flagship “Invisible Worlds” permanent exhibition in the Core Building at Eden Project in Cornwall. Dumitriu undertook a lab based residency with the Healthcare Associated Infection […]

27th January 2020

“The Romantic Disease: An Artistic Investigation of Tuberculosis” is a solo exhibition and ongoing project by Anna Dumitriu, with an accompanying events programme. Skip to “Pneumothorax Machine“ Skip to “Rest, Rest, Rest!“ Skip to”Romantic Disease Dress“ Skip to “Burden“ Skip to “Where There’s Dust There’s Danger“ Skip to “Blue Henry“ This project takes the form […]

27th January 2020

“Blue Henry” (2014) is a strangely beautiful altered object, an engraved sputum flask which would have been carried by tuberculosis (TB) patients in the past in order to collect infected sputum coughed up from their lungs, rather than spit it out. The piece is part of Anna Dumitriu’s Romantic Disease series. The Blue Henry “a […]

27th January 2020

“Rest, Rest, Rest!” (2014) takes the form of a tiny altered antique toy hospital bed and screen which are impregnated with the extracted tuberculosis (TB) DNA and dyed with natural dyes, which were historically used as treatments for the disease. It is part of Anna Dumitriu’s Romantic Disease series. Until the discovery of the antibiotic […]

27th January 2020

“The Consultation” (2014) reflects on the hopes of patients in their treatments at the very start of the antibiotic age and the increasing contemporary challenge of antibiotic resistance. These altered doll-sized modernist chairs and table have been stained orange with Prontosil, a sulfa medicine created in 1932 and based on Dr Paul Ehrlich’s concept of […]

27th January 2020

“Where There’s Dust There’s Danger” (2014) takes the form of tiny needle felted lungs made from wool and household dust impregnated with the extracted DNA of killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). The organisms have been rendered sterile using a validated process used in whole genome sequencing of TB. The lungs show various stages of the disease […]

27th January 2020

“Burden” (2017) is a hand carved sculptural work which focusses on the global health crisis of tuberculosis and is part of Anna Dumitriu’s Romantic Disease series. Made with carved Zimbabwean lemon opal stone and fruit stone, embroidered calico dyed with madder root (used as an ancient treatment for TB), and impregnated with TB DNA. Tuberculosis […]

27th January 2020

Anna Dumitriu worked with scientists Melissa Grant and Rachel Sammons at the University of Birmingham to create “Microbe Mouth” (2016) made from unique teeth grown using bacteria. The team literally grew teeth, or at least the hydroxyapatite that tooth enamel is made from, in the lab using an extremophile bacterium which is part of the species […]