14 DAY TRIAL // Together with a team of scientists, German artist Diemut Strebe has successfully created a living 3D-printed replica of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh's ear. The ear is now on display at the ZKM Karlsruhe Museum in Germany.
Information shared with the public says that, in order to create the organ, a photo of which is available above, the artist elicited the help of a man named Lieuwe van Gogh, who is the great-great-grandson of the painter's brother.
The researchers who worked with Diemut Strebe on this project explain that, according to their investigations into the matter at hand, Lieuwe van Gogh and Vincet van Gogh have about 1/16 of their genes in common.
This means that, by using genetic material taken from the great-great-grandson of the famous painter's brother, Diemut Strebe managed to piece together an accurate a replica of Vincent van Gogh's ear as possible.
What's interesting is that, apart from the fact that it is a living organ, Diemut Strebe's ear is argued to be a fully functional one as well. Thus, visitors to the museum are encouraged to whisper sweet nothings in its direction and wait for a computer software to process the sound input.
“You can talk to the ear. The input sound is processed by a computer using software that converts it to simulate nerve impulses in real time. The speaker remains in soliloquy. The crackling sound that is produced is used to outline absence instead of presence,” the museum explains in a statement.
For the time being, the ear is kept in a special liquid that provides it with the nutrients it needs to stay alive. Diemut Strebe and his collaborators expect that, all things considered, the ear will manage to survive in this environment for several years to come.
Although the scientific community is no stranger to the idea of using 3D-printing to grow various organs, be it for transplant or for research purposes, this is the first time that this technology is used to complete an art project.
“I use science basically like a type of brush, like Vincent used paint,” German artist Diemut Strebe comments on his work during a recent interview with the press, as cited by PSFK.
Vincent van Gogh lived in the 19th century and, post-impressionist works aside, is well known for the fact that, at one point, he cut off one of his ears. Whereas some say that the artist mutilated himself as a result of a psychotic episode, others maintain that he did so after getting into an argument with a friend.