T3511: Introduction (single channel, excerpt)

T3511 is a genomic detective story and biological romance. The four-channel video installation follows the artist who falls in love with an anonymous saliva donor as she profiles their DNA.
The work draws the viewer into an emerging world of ubiquitous genomic sequencing, biobanking, and the market in human biological materials.
The artist analyzes the donor's DNA and then cultures and attempts to grow their cells on her own body. The story is told in voice-over through a series of love letters to the anonymous donor.
This work forecast the ways in which DNA data could be used to re-identify anonymous individuals, as was then seen in the case of the Golden State killer.

T3511​ examines the commodification of cells and the growth of direct-to-consumer genetic testing services, asking questions about how relationships, family, and day-to-day life are likely to change in the imminent future as biotechnology becomes part of our everyday lives.

Credits:
Heather Dewey-Hagborg
Toshiaki Ozawa
Frieder Sandel
Michael Schmidt-Olsen
Timothy Day
Thomas Dexter

Photo Documentation Hanneke Wetzer

Thank You:
MU Art Space Eindhoven
Sundance Institute
Sundance New Frontiers Story Lab
Creative Capital
Denmark National Biobank, Copenhagen
Luke Dubois, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Fridman Gallery

See exhibition text by Patricia de Vries