The RepliFate Artist-in-Residence Program Science Through an Artistic Lens

The RepliFate project, part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) funded by Horizon Europe, brings together nine European institutions to delve into the role of DNA replication in determining cellular outcomes and disease progression. Recognizing that scientific discovery thrives on diverse perspectives, the Artist-in-Residence program invites artists into laboratories to interact with researchers, experiment with cutting-edge technology, and transform complex biological processes into compelling artistic narratives.

Building on Dumitriu’s legacy, three artists have been selected for their distinctive approaches to the intersection of art and science. Each artist works with a group of PhD fellows and scientists, working within a theme inspired by their research.

Solveig Lill, guided by the theme “Faces of Stress and Malignance”, explores how stress and disease manifest visually and emotionally, linking cellular instability to human perception. Pei-Ying Lin, under the theme “In(Stability) and Damage Repair”, examines the fragility, adaptation, and resilience of cells through mixed media and experimental techniques. Helen Pynor, working within “Transformation through Replication”, delves into the liminal spaces of cellular identity and the enigmatic nature of fate, transforming biomolecular processes into evocative artistic expressions.

The residencies began in early 2024, with a hybrid process extending through 2025. Curated by Dr. Claudia Schnugg, who also oversaw Dumitriu’s residency, the program enables artists to immerse themselves in the scientific environment at Helmholtz Munich and other collaborating institutions across Europe. Through this engagement, they will create artworks that transform their insights into compelling artistic expressions. The final works will be presented at the RepliFate conference in 2026.

For Helen Pynor her time at Helmholtz Munich is a deep exploration of life and death and the thin line between the living and the non-living. She views DNA replication and cell division as moments of transformation – delicate processes that can go wrong. Working with RepliFate PhD fellows and spending time in Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla’s laboratory, she is learning about the unpredictable nature of biological processes. “These events happen too fast and are too small for us to truly understand,” she explains, describing them as “shimmering phenomena.” The tiny traces left behind – what she calls "ghosts" or “after-images” – are becoming a key focus of her work.

Meanwhile, Solveig Lill’s first year in the residency is filled with discovery and new insights. Through discussions with scientists and hands-on experiences in the laboratory, she is gaining a deeper understanding of how science works. “It’s been inspiring to witness experiments firsthand,” she shares. “Talking to scientists has given me new perspectives and helped me refine my artistic vision.”

Pei-Ying Lin has also embarked on a unique journey during her residency, exploring the concept of “knitting errors” in her first year. “Inspired by the notion that sometimes DNA transcription must proceed without repairing due to other urgent conditions, I explore the space of proceeding at the boundary condition of errors through knitting,” she explains. One of her outcomes was a lace-like textile where the errors became a defining feature. “It also leads to thinking about the machinery that allows this to happen – not all machines can function under such errors. In a way, the aesthetic of this lace-like textile is specific to the machine I am using. Will DNA replication and repair also have their own aesthetics?”

The three artists are changing the way we think about biology, using art to make invisible processes visible. For Pynor, it is about capturing the unobservable, while Lill connects the emotional and visual aspects of science. Lin, on the other hand, translates molecular instability into material form, questioning how biological processes shape both function and aesthetics. Together, their work is sparking new conversations at the intersection of art, science, and life.

Latest update: May 2025.