Putting the Lid on “Culture as Medium”

Art and science exhibit “Culture as Medium” grew and evolved through its stay in Baltimore. “Culture as Medium” colonized Baltimore during April and May, 2106. An art/science exhibit curated by Margaret MacDonald, Culture as Medium brought art work done with or inspired by microbes to Baltimore. Curator MacDonald, partnered with the Baltimore Under Ground Science Space (BUGSS), Project Bridge, and Mostly Microbes to provide the perfect bacterial incubator of art and science. I stumbled onto the exhibit through my now favorite social media outlet – Twitter. Dr. Francois Lapointe, a professor of Biology at University of Montreal, Canada posted an article about his “microbiome selfies”. Reading that he’d be performing next in Baltimore, I contacted him. He quickly put me in touch with the curator of the exhibit, Margaret McDonald. “Culture as Medium” was Margaret’s brain child and thesis project for her Master’s of Fine Arts in Curatorial Practice at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Formally a chemist, Margaret became interested in the intersection of art and science. She knew that Baltimore with its strong artistic and scientific communities was an ideal setting for an art-science exhibit.

Time is Running Out for “Culture as Medium”

If you are in the Baltimore area between now and May 20th and haven’t experienced an aspect of the science-art exhibit – Culture as Medium – time is running out! Culture as Medium, celebrates Baltimore as a growing and thriving biotechnology and artistic hot spot, while encompassing the complexity and diversity of the city. The exhibit explores the intersection of art and science through exhibiting art by internationally recognized scientists and artists, as well as several performance art/science opportunities. Culture as Medium is an “evolving” exhibit inviting visitors to explore and merge the boundaries of art and science, the visible and invisible portions of our world. Opening at the Motor House Curated by Margaret MacDonald of the Maryland Institute of Art (MICA), Culture as Medium, spans different areas of the city. The first installation of the exhibit opened at the Motor House in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District on April 1st. Dr. François Joseph Lapointe from the University of Montreal conducted a performance “microbiome selfie” collecting microbiome samples from his tongue every 10 minutes after eating kimchi for an hour. Kimchi was chosen for his food microbiome selfie to honor the Koren population in the surrounding area. Visitors

Culture as Medium: Breaking Down Walls Between Art and Science

Culture: One Word – Many Meanings This spring – Baltimore will host all meanings of the word culture under one grand exhibition – Culture as Medium. Culture. To some culture is art, music, the symphony, opera, classical literature. Culture is societal. It is something that emerges from our collective. However, culture can also be much smaller, individualized, and active. Conducted by medical professionals and scientists clad in crisp, white lab coats. A culture of bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other microscopic cells can be actively maintained – cultured – in the laboratory under certain conditions.