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Press Invitation - History And Art Revives Origins Of Genetics In Czech Republic

May 10, 2002

Artists, scientists, architects and curators from around the world have joined forces with the abbot of the Abbey of St Thomas in Brno, Czech Republic, in a unique venture that honours the father of modern genetics. 'The Genius of Genetics, a celebration of Gregor Mendel through science and art' tells the story of the life and work of the Augustinian friar who, in the 1860s, experimented with peas and discovered the laws that govern heredity. It opens to the public on Tuesday May 21 for one year.

The exhibition marks an era in history when gene research is poised to revolutionise medicine - and, already, is relevant to everybody's daily life. It is the first phase of a major initiative to reinstate the abbey as an international symbol for genetics. Speaking at the launch (15 May 2002), Ms Marina Wallace, the curator and director of Artakt, the London-based art-science company, said, "There is no greater legend in the history of science than the experiments of Gregor Mendel." The exhibition combines historical items and documents belonging to Mendel as well as contemporary works of art on the theme of genetics and an interactive website. In what Ms Wallace describes as 'a united nations' of cultural heritage, the project has been thoroughly and accurately researched with the help of world-wide experts to reflect the origins of genetics. "Another highly significant historical event linked to this project was the restitution of much of the surviving Mendel-related material returned by the Moravian Museum in Brno to the Abbey of St Thomas," said Ms Wallace.

The Genius of Genetics is in three sections focusing respectively on Mendel`s biography: his background and motivations; his research interests and methodology; and his experiments within the historical context of the enigma of generation and the development of cell theory. These sections are illustrated by a rich historical documentation, which includes scientific instruments, Mendel's annotated books, letters, photographs and the plans for the glasshouse in the abbey garden where he conducted his experiments.

Christine Borland, an artist whose work developed from an interest in family trees, has spent much time with doctors, scientists and patients. Her contribution to The Genius of Genetics is a large three-dimensional representation of the brain disorder, Huntingdon's disease, entitled A Treasure of Human Inheritance and installed in the final exhibition room in the Abbey alongside material relating to Mendel's experiments on inheritance. "Through art, in particular, work made in consultation with those involved in genetics, we can provide a forum for dialogue for the difficult issues that arise from our knowledge. Ultimately, people will respond to the art according to their own experiences," she said.

Other artists include Susan Derges, herman de vries, Cornelia Hesse-Honegger, Matilda Downs, Rob Kesseler and Gerhard Lang. "The artists share a fascination with the patterns observed in nature and with the scientific search for explanations of physical and biological systems," said Ms Wallace.

The exhibition is housed in an environment designed by the renowned Czech architect, Eva Jiricna. "The setting and the personality of Gregor Mendel made this a very special project," said Ms Jiricna. She has designed it in the context of the abbey and incorporated a great many different objects. "It was, above all, our aim to give the exhibition the atmosphere of respect which Mendel's story deserves," she said.

A fully-illustrated catalogue in English and Czech accompanies The Genius of Genetics detailing the life of Mendel, the works of art and the historical items. The introduction is by the curators, Marina Wallace and Dr Caterina Albano. The geneticist, Professor Kim Nasmyth, director of the Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna, has written the forward and the geneticist, Professor Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza from Stanford University, USA, is the author of an essay on 'Mendel's Greatness.'

The driving force behind the entire project is Professor Nasymth. "Mendel's work gave us a new outlook on the nature and causes of our very inheritance. The Abbey of St Thomas, therefore, must be considered a key part of mankind's intellectual heritage." The plans for the future include the restoration of his experimental garden and the apiary. In 2004, the team are aiming for a Mendel Museum of Genetics and Mendel Life Science Centre within the abbey, which will be a forum for discussion on genetics for scientists, artists and the public alike.

The organising body behind the exhibition is the Vereinigung zur Förderung der Genomforschung in Vienna (an organisation that promotes genetic research). The initiative is supported by leading international figures in the world of genetics including Nobel prize winners, Dr James Watson from the USA and Sir Paul Nurse from the UK, as well as the City of Brno and the president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel.

Speaking about his vision for the development of the abbey, the present abbot of the abbey of St Thomas, Luk'¡s Evzen Martinec, said, "The significance of this exhibition, now in the first phase called 'Brno Initiative,' is greater than the area of our abbey and the city of Brno. This work demonstrates the victories of good over evil and of intelligence over human foible and the false claim that faith, science, and religion are at odds."

From 16 - 19 May 2002, nearly 100 leaders in the field of genetics from around the world will attend an inaugural conference, the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) Workshop, "Genetics after the Genome," co-sponsored by the EMBO and the Vereinigung. Among the delegates will be Nobel prize winners Christianne Nüsslein-Volhard from Germany and Eric Wieschaus from the USA. For some, it will serve as a pilgrimage, to exchange ideas on the progress in gene research in Mendel's home that he himself could never have conceived in those early days of experiments with peas. "It will be a memorable experience for this group of scientists yet just the beginning of a lasting testimony to this extraordinary man," said Professor Nasmyth.

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Snell Communications Ltd