in collaboration with Phillip Andrew Lewis

Spirit Molecule is a series of experiments that imagine a future of biotechnologized mourning as we engineer a lost loved one’s DNA into a psychoactive plant that is then consumed in a final journey of intimacy with the other.

Spirit Molecule II, engages local community members as DNA donors to be memorialized in a site-specific commission for the Broad Museum at Michigan State University, created in collaboration with University scientist Dr. Bjoern Hamberger.
The work consists of a large mound of moss growing in the gallery, with four embedded cylinders containing genetic memorial plants.

In this iteration we embed both human DNA and a gene for the scent of patchouli into lab-strain moss Physcomitrella patens. The resulting genetically modified plants will be gifted at the end of the exhibition to the donors, and the mound of wild-type moss will be distributed to the public.

On View
June 7 - September 29, 2019

Eli & Edith Broad Art Museum
547 E Circle Dr, East Lansing, MI 48824

Curated by Steven Bridges

Very big thank you to the entire meticulous team at the Broad Museum, the lab of Dr. Bjoern Hamberger, and Fathomers for all your support!