Carl Sagan famously wrote, ‘All of the rocky and metallic material we stand on, the iron in our blood, the calcium in our teeth, the carbon in our genes were produced billions of years ago in the interior of a red giant star. We are made of star-stuff.’ The cosmos surrounds us; the cosmos exists within us. We live each day within an unseen symbiotic relationship between our immediate worlds (the body) and the wider influence of the universe encompassing our planet. And this intangible connection translates to the visual world through the similarities in imagery looking out into space and peering into human biology. ‘Cosmos’ is at its core an exhibition about our placement within the far-flung natural world. The show will bring together the macro and micro, outer space and the human body, blurring the lines between the two. The exhibition will hang along two corridors of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, as part of its 15-year-old arts programme bringing art into the hospital. Evidence shows that art inspires wellbeing and healing. Exhibiting in a hospital setting is an opportunity to provide moments of wonder or relief to patients, families and staff in what can be a stressful environment, to encourage meaningful cultural encounters, and to introduce new audiences to contemporary art. Artists Dominic Smith Jane Higginbottom Cameron Lings Daiane Medeiros Steven Barritt David Lunt Julie Light Marion Kuit Alice Sheppard Fidler Sonya Robinson Amy Bonsor Jenny Duff Deborah Humm Jill Mueller Martha Gray Katy Hammond About the Venue The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre has been treating patients with bone and joint problems for more than 80 years and has a world-wide reputation for excellence in orthopaedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. The hospital also undertakes specialist services such as the treatment of bone infection and bone tumours, limb reconstruction and the rehabilitation of those with limb amputation or complex neurological disabilities. Due to the nature of the space, there will be no private view or invigilation of the works. Who We Are Lumen is an art collective, focused on themes of astronomy and light, regularly exhibiting in churches as well as galleries. Through art, exhibitions, and seminars, Lumen aims to raise a dialogue about how humanity understands existence. In biology, a lumen is the inside space of a tubular structure, originating from the Latin lumen, meaning 'an opening'. Artists Martha Gray and Jill Mueller are coming together with Lumen to curate an exhibition that embodies both these themes, highlighting the crossovers between inward- and outward-looking explorations for understanding. Martha Gray is an artist and curator exploring the possibilities of art and science to better understand health and relationships to nature. Working with alternative photographic processes to articulate mind and body in relation to ‘self’ and the cosmos of the microbiome. Jill Mueller believes in the power of art to connect people and transform lives. In her interdisciplinary practice, she draws on personal life experience to explore broader issues around the body, what it means to be human, and how to make meaning in today’s world. Her practice currently includes creative writing, mixed-media, printmaking and collaborative projects. With special thanks to Natasha Sabatini.
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