The Project
The Prometheus Project is a new installation work investigating a network of connections between a Greek myth, its artistic representations, and scientific knowledge, with a special focus on the liver. The (apparently) competing narratives of myth and science are the grounds of the piece, with the human body the material that knits the elements together. The plan is to realize the work in several formats, including a multi-channel architectural/sculptural installation (possibly interactive), a single channel cinema work, and a web version. It will include images of art as well as medical specimens, an investigation of the current state of scientific research, computer simulations of the regenerating liver, and a re-telling of the Prometheus myth.
The Myth
Prometheus the Titan, son of Zeus, was the god who stole fire and delivered it to Man, effectively kick-starting civilization. As punishment, Zeus had him chained to a rock in the Caucasus mountains, where every evening a giant golden eagle descended from the sky and feasted on his liver. During the next day, Prometheus’s liver grew back, ready for the visit of the eagle that evening. This cycle was supposed to continue for ever . . .
The Art
A magnificent 17th century painting by Peter Paul Rubens (in collaboration with Franz Snyders) shows Prometheus in chains, eagle’s claws piercing his face and belly, its beak removing a morsel of raw liver from an open wound in the Titan’s side. In contrast, Paul Manship’s kitsch 20th century golden statue depicting a flying Prometheus, fire in hand, presides over the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.
The Science
Incredibly, the liver is the only organ in the human body that regenerates. Up to two-thirds of the liver can be removed, and in a remarkably short time, it will grow back to its original size and shape. This was confirmed in the 19th century and first demonstrated experimentally with lab animals in 1931. Current research on the mechanisms of liver growth centers on stem cells.
Did ancient Greeks scientists and doctors have knowledge of the liver’s remarkable capacity for self-repair? Medical historians disagree. The principle proponents of the idea that the myth was based on established knowledge are also specialists in traditional Chinese medicine. This suggests that the historians who oppose this view might be captive to the biases of Western scientific discourse. Dr. John Rasko, the principle proponent of the latter view and also an experimental pathologist and dicrector of a major research laboratory in Sydney Australia, has enthusiastically agreed to work with us on the scientific aspects of the project.
The Artists
Grahame Weinbren is a media artist and filmmaker. His work has been exhibited internationally since the 1970s.
nicoykatiushka (NyK) is a collaborative duo formed on June 20, 2003 in Brooklyn, New York. Since then NyK have been creating multi-media installations which combine new technologies with performance and installation techniques. By combining live imagery with the mediated image through hybrid performances NyK address the blurred boundaries between technology and human relationships. They have shown around the globe in numerous galleries.
The Personal Connection
Grahame’s father, the late Professor Kenneth Weinbren, was an experimental pathologist who spent his career investigating liver growth. His name opens many doors in the scientific community, and this work is in his memory.