VITALITY
ADSORPTION Mika Futz Awarded Art Submission: Second Place
“To me, the concept of Vitality is entwined with resilience and adaptiveness. How do we, as individuals and societies, respond to the challenges of the last year? This work explores the vital forces of the microbial realm at the microscopic level. COVID-19 exposed significant challenges and disparities in how information is shared, accessed, and interpreted. The pandemic also revealed opportunities to improve upon science communication and education. In response, this project was developed to combat barriers to knowledge. Here, science fiction and comic-book culture are used to reach diverse populations, merge boundaries, and bridge gaps in knowledge. This work explores the microbial realm, merging the familiarity and tactility of traditional ink illustration with 3-D digital modeling software. The motifs of movement, transmission, and collective action are explored through a cast of microbial characters and processes. These themes are represented in the form of motility, viral pathogenesis, and biofilm formation. My creative works examine both the viral spread of information and viral particles themselves by rendering STEAM topics as both tangible and approachable.”
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