Context

Dear Cell is part of the interdiscipliary research project Perception of Self and Nonself in Life, developed in 2019 at IMéRA Institute for Advanced Study of Aix-Marseille University, in collaboration with CIML Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CNRS – Inserm - AMU). Further, also Inmed Mediterranean Institute of Neurobiology took part. 

CIML and Inmed are joint institutes of the French National Center for Scientific Research CNRS and Inserm, the public scientific and technological institute for public health.

The precious contributions of scientists AMU, CNRS, Inserm of CIML and Inmed are fundamental.

 

Concept 

Dear Cell is inspired by the differentiation of self and not-self, a basic principle in Immunology.

This principle is expanded to the relationship between researcher and object of research and their habitual positions are inverted. It shows what stands behind hard science and offers a new sight of what we are and what we are not. 

The resulting artwork is called Dear Cell. 

 

Process 

17 Research Directors, Group Leaders, Researchers and Professors of CIML Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy and Inmed Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (CNRS - Inserm - AMU) participated constituently.

They are, together with their objects of research, the so-called Protagonists in this artistic system.

• The researchers wrote by hand a heart-felt letter to their object of research.(Letter from ME-Researcher to you-object)
• The researchers addressed such a letter to themselves, personifying the object.(Letter from YOU-Object to me-researcher)
• The handwriting was video recorded.
• The handwritten letters were transcribed. Read the letters of the Protagonists here Dear Cell (transcriptions)
• The researchers provided photographs and films of the objects of research, which were produced in their laboratories CIML and Inmed. This material was edited by the artist.
• The eye of the researchers was filmed. 

Dear Cell

Dear Cell consists of four videos:

Dear Cell (eyes) 56 min 39 sec 

Dear Cell (letters) 5h 58 min 26 sec 

Dear Cell (transcriptions) 59 min 41 sec 

Dear Cell (cells) 34 min 35 sec 

 

 

Exhibitions

2023 Austrian Cultural Forum Rome. Conference Arnulf Rohsmann. Catalogue. (Supported by The Austrian Cultural Forum Rome; Federal Ministry of the Republic of Austria; Federal State of Carinthia; The City of Villach)

2022 KAUNAS 2022 Contemporary European Capital of Culture, Meno Parkas Galerija. Curated by Gabriel Soucheyre/VIDEOFORMES

2021 VIDEOFORMES Digital Arts Festival, Clermont-Ferrand, France, Dear Cell (Supported by Austrian Cultural Forum Paris)

2020 MANIFESTA 13 - Les Paralleles du Sud, Dear Cell MANIFESTA, Marseille, France, Dear Cell (Supported by IMéRA - Institut d'études avancées d'Aix-Marseille Université; RFIEA French Network of Institutes for Advanced Studies; CIML Centre d’Immunologie Marseille-Luminy (CNRS, Inserm, AMU); AMU Aix-Marseille University; Region Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur; Departmental Council of Bouches-du-Rhône; Austrian Cultural Forum Paris; Federal Ministry of the Republic of Austria; Federal State of Carinthia; The City of Villach.)

 

Presentations

2019 FRAC Marseille, A*MIDEX 

2019 Tel Aviv, Mandel Center

2019 Vilnius, National Gallery

2019 IMéRA Marseille

2019 CIML Marseille 

 

Texts

Arnulf Rohsmann, forschung und eros, 2019

Arnulf Rohsmann, dear cell, 2020

Gabriel Soucheyre, About Dear Cell, 2021

 

Publications

Regina Hübner - Dear Cell, Forum Austriaco di Cultura Roma (2023)

FOCUS #1 IMéRA/AMU - Perception of Self and Nonself in Life / Dear Cell / Regina Hübner (2020)

regina hübner / forschung und eros, Arnulf Rohsmann (2019)

Télérama, Quand scientifiques et artistes unissent leurs forces, Lorraine Rossignol (2021)

regina hübner auf der manifesta 13: dear cell, Arnulf Rohsmann, Die Brücke Kulturzeitschrift Kärnten (2020)

Regina Hübner Dear Cell,(Regina Hübner, 2021)

Exhibition Dear Cell Regina Hübner,(VIDEOFORMES, 2021)

Portrait de Regina Huebner (University Clermont Auvergne, 2021) 

Turbulences Video #111 (VIDEOFORMES 2021, p. 70 - 73)

A*Midex Présentation du projet Art-Science de Regina Hübner au FRAC (2019)

unclosed.eu, nr. 24, Regina Hübner - Perception of Self and Nonself in Life – Dear Cell (2019)

Dear Cell presentation (power point)

 

Press, selection 

Télérama, Débats & Reportages - Arts & Expositions, Quand scientifiques et artistes unissent leurs forces by Lorraine Rossignol, 16 February 2021. Read here.

Die Brücke Kulturzeitschrift Kärnten, Nr. 20 Oct-Nov 2020, regina hübner auf der manifesta 13: dear cell,

by Arnulf Rohsmann 

 

 

Exhibitions and presenations have recived the support of 

IMéRA Institut d'études avancées d'Aix-Marseille Université; AMU Université Aix-Marseille; RFIEA Réseau français des instituts d'études avancées; CIML Centre d’Immunologie Marseille-Luminy (CNRS, Inserm, AMU); Region Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur; Département Bouches-du-Rhône; Institut français de Lituanie; VIDEOFORMES Hybrid and Digital Arts; Forum Culturel Autrichien Paris; Forum Austriaco di Cultura Roma; Bundesministerium für Kunst, Kultur, öffentlichen Dienst und Sport BMKÖS; Land Kärnten Kultur; Stadt Villach Kultur.