Vincent van Gogh's Ear is Regrown and Alive for an Art Exhibit

roseofbattle

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Apr 18, 2011
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Vincent van Gogh's Ear is Regrown and Alive for an Art Exhibit

German artist Diemut Strebe teamed with scientists to create a living art piece - a living replica of Vincent van Gogh's severed ear.

Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear in 1888 for frequently debated reasons - most often lunacy. One artist and a team of scientists have now created a living replica of van Gogh's ear thanks to 3D printing and DNA from his brother's great-great grandson.

Lieuwe van Gogh is the great-great grandson of Vincent's brother Theo. He shares 1/16 of the same genes as Vincent van Gogh and the Y-chromosone. Using his DNA samples, German artist Diemut Strebe and scientists used a 3D bioprinter to print the skin cells to exactly resemble Vincent van Gogh's severed ear. The ear contains both genetic information about van Gogh and engineered components. The ear was grown in Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. The ear could be kept alive for years as long as the cells are fed a nutrient solution.

Strebe told the Associated Press that she wanted to combine art and science. She plans to hold a full exhibition for her art early next year in New York. For now the replica ear is a part of the Sugababe exhibit in Germany until July 6. The ear will be a living art piece to this date thanks to the nutrient solution it is fed.

The coolest part of the exhibit is how visitors will be able to talk to the ear through a microphone. A computer processes the sound and converts it to simulate nerve impulses

Source: International Business Times [http://on1.zkm.de/zkm/stories/storyReader$8887]


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Remus

Reprogrammed Spambot
Nov 24, 2012
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Peyton Westlake would like to have a chat with these scientists about a full facial prosthesis. Would this ear last past 99 minutes if pulled off life support I wonder?
 

AdmiralCheez

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Nov 9, 2009
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Well, this is probably the creepiest art piece I've seen today. And that last bit about talking to the ear? Why? Does it actually respond? Because that would be even creepier.
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
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Remus said:
Peyton Westlake would like to have a chat with these scientists about a full facial prosthesis. Would this ear last past 99 minutes if pulled off life support I wonder?
Whoa, that's like...really dark, man.

OT: "The ear was later found stolen, followiing reports of a mysterious one-eared man resembling Vincent Price. Police are currently in search of a man called Phibes..."
 

Kuala BangoDango

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Mar 19, 2009
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I don't understand...

How is it an exact replica of VvG's ear if it's only 1/16th his DNA? Doesn't that mean it's 15/16th other people's ears?

Can I have an exact replica of the Statue of Liberty if I only copy the torch and the rest of the statue is based off of Mt. Rushmore and the Sphinx?
 

The Real Sandman

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Oct 12, 2009
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This is one of those things in life that sounds cool at first, but after several seconds you start to realize how ridiculous and ultimately pointless it really it is.
 

bimon_1234567

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Mar 15, 2012
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The Real Sandman said:
This is one of those things in life that sounds cool at first, but after several seconds you start to realize how ridiculous and ultimately pointless it really it is.
Ultimately pointless, eh?

I'd say that description fits all things in life.
 

The Real Sandman

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Oct 12, 2009
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bimon_1234567 said:
The Real Sandman said:
This is one of those things in life that sounds cool at first, but after several seconds you start to realize how ridiculous and ultimately pointless it really it is.
Ultimately pointless, eh?

I'd say that description fits all things in life.
You can never be too existential.
 

bimon_1234567

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Mar 15, 2012
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Kuala BangoDango said:
I don't understand...

How is it an exact replica of VvG's ear if it's only 1/16th his DNA? Doesn't that mean it's 15/16th other people's ears?

Can I have an exact replica of the Statue of Liberty if I only copy the torch and the rest of the statue is based off of Mt. Rushmore and the Sphinx?
The exact thing about it is the form, not the genes.

To use your analogy, it's an exact replica of the Statue of Liberty made from different materials but looking the same.
 

Darks63

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Mar 8, 2010
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Anyone else bothered by the fact that we are now calling cloned body parts of dead people "art". What is next we clone hitlers head for "art"?

It reminds me of all the bone and human skin lampshades and other twisted stuff we pulled out of Buchenwald concentration camp. Or Ed Geins "artwork" made out of his victims.
 

Scars Unseen

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May 7, 2009
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Darks63 said:
Anyone else bothered by the fact that we are now calling cloned body parts of dead people "art". What is next we clone hitlers head for "art"?

It reminds me of all the bone and human skin lampshades and other twisted stuff we pulled out of Buchenwald concentration camp. Or Ed Geins "artwork" made out of his victims.
I don't know art, but I know what I reich.
 

bigfatcarp93

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Mar 26, 2012
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Scars Unseen said:
Darks63 said:
Anyone else bothered by the fact that we are now calling cloned body parts of dead people "art". What is next we clone hitlers head for "art"?

It reminds me of all the bone and human skin lampshades and other twisted stuff we pulled out of Buchenwald concentration camp. Or Ed Geins "artwork" made out of his victims.
I don't know art, but I know what I reich.
Tell me if you want, but I'd rather Nazi.
 

SGT_Noobnuts

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May 30, 2014
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But didn't van Gogh not cut his own ear off?

He only sliced the bottom end of one of his ears and sent it to a brothel. He didn't slice the whole thing off

Though still I think "We have regrown van Gogh's earlobe!" wouldn't have been as catchy or interesting