A winning trajectory for neural stem cell artwork

As French artist Gustave Courbet famously said, “Fine art is knowledge made visible,” and the submissions to the 2024 QBI Art in Neuroscience Competition embodied this idea beautifully.?

Alison Carlisle claimed first prize in the annual scientific art competition for her work titled ‘Projections and trajectories’, which offers a detailed portrayal of neural stem cells in the hippocampus.??

The artwork illustrates how these cells remain quiescent until induced to differentiate, branching into either glial or neuronal trajectories.

The judging panel, comprising experts from Jan Murphy Gallery and Philip Bacon Galleries, were deeply impressed by Alison’s winning submission, describing it as a striking fusion of artistry and neuroscience.

“In?this work by Alison, we were again?struck by the?artistry and power of neuroscience. Images such as this are quite simply exquisite abstractions,” the judges said.?

“This image is at the same time immediate and beautifully composed, making for extraordinary and really powerful?art.”

Second place went to Duy Duan (John) Nguyen for his unique video submission ‘Saccadic Waltz’, which unveiled what he called the “dance of vision”.?

The video illustrates the story of sight by contrasting the smooth, graceful arcs of healthy eye movements with the erratic, fractured saccades seen in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.?

“We very much liked this original and?innovative take on the project. Using video as the medium brings the science to life, showing wonderful patterns and vibrations, the work was cleverly executed,” the judges said.

Dr Deniz Ertekin secured third place for her artwork titled ‘Comedian: The Neuro Edition.’ Deniz’s rendition included a Drosophila (fruit fly) brain taped to a wall, highlighting its crucial role in advancing our understanding of complex neural networks.?

“This one made us laugh. What a topical and humorous take on the subject,” the judges said.?

“The?artwork this work is based on by Maurizio Cattelan of a banana duct taped to a wall recently sold for $9.5 million. Highlighting everything wrong with the?art?market, but it certainly made us all think. Deniz’s work makes us think too.”?

The People’s Choice Award was fiercely contested once again, with Alison Carlisle emerging victorious to claim her second award in the 2024 competition.?