The exhibition "Tree of Life. The complexity of life: from the cell to the living organism" and the app “CRG Memory Game”, bring together images from the scientific work of the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)

• For the first time in Barcelona, images by researchers at the CRG are being presented. The aim is to share not only the work that is done at the centre, but also the beauty and uniqueness of the images and the parallels and synergies between art and science.

• The CRG is launching the “CRG Memory Game” app, so you can “play” with the images making up the display and find out more about them.

• As part of the exhibition, there are also various microscope workshops and a science café.

• Palau Robert will host the exhibition, which is being supported and produced by the Banc Sabadell Foundation, from 4^th September to 12^th October.

The scientists at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) want to help find solutions to the problems that we humans face in our relationship with the environment and with ourselves: they want to discover cures for diseases and improve the quality of life of human beings. Understanding the basic mechanisms of life and living processes is the first step in being able to apply this knowledge, a posteriori, and contribute solutions to these issues.

"We are very proud to be able to share these images with people. Their beauty and magnificence means that the work taking place in the CRG crosses the frontiers of the purely scientific and acquires a new dimension in culture and art", says Luis Serrano, director of the CRG. "Although we offer a number of activities aimed at promoting scientific culture, this exhibition and app are particularly satisfying initiatives. We suggest that you view life as we do in our experiments. It is a new way of looking at life and living beings that will surely not leave anyone untouched", adds Serrano.

At the CRG living processes are studied at all levels, from the smallest elements like molecules, organelles and cells, to tissues and organs, and right up to entire organisms. It is precisely this sequence which governs the exhibition and allows you to be led through it. This is why the images are organised into three large blocks: The cell | Tissues and organs | Organisms.

The main objective of the exhibition is to share with the general public not only the knowledge that is generated at the centre, but also to highlight the connection between science and art, two disciplines that share methods based on experimentation and which pursue the transmission of knowledge. The exhibition offers us the opportunity to actively reflect on this curious binomial. Science and art are two aspects of human creativity seemingly separated and unconnected to each other. But they subtly interact more often than we imagine.

As part of the exhibition, the Centre for Genomic Regulation has developed an app so visitors can also “play” with the images using the app CRG Memory Game, with touchscreen tablets. The app is based on the classic matching pairs game and uses images from the exhibition. After the game, the users can access a description of each of the photos they have been playing with.

In addition, several microscope workshops will be held, aimed at schools and the general public, to explain both basic biological concepts and the research carried out at the CRG. The workshops will help people understand the exhibition better, as well as how the images in it were obtained.

Finally, a science café is also being organised on how we interpret scientific images and the many things an image can suggest to us. Leading the discussion on this topic, will be scientists, experts in microscopy and artists.

The exhibition will open to the public on September 4^th at 10 am in Palau Robert, in Barcelona, and will remain open until October 12^th.

This initiative has been made possible thanks to the research undertaken by the scientists at the CRG, as well as the support of Fundació Banc Sabadell, which is producing the exhibition, funding from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, as part of the ‘Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2013-2017’ (SEV-2012-0208) programme. Tactile tablets have been provided by Hewlett-Packard and microscopes by Leica Microsystems. The app has been made possible thanks to funding by the Spanish Science and Technology Foundation of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, which is also supporting the science café together with the Barcelona City Council’s Culture Institute.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Exhibition: "Tree of Life – The complexity of life: from the cell to the living organism"
Dates: From 4^th September to 12^th October 2014
Opening times: from Monday to Saturday: 10 am – 8 pm; Sundays and bank holidays: 10 am – 2.30 pm.
Location: Palau Robert | Centre d’Informació de Catalunya | Passeig de Gràcia, 107 | 08008 Barcelona
Admission Price: Free

Workshops for the General Public:
Dates: 4^th, 24^th, 25^th, 26^th, 27^th and 28^th September.
Time: from 6 – 7 pm.
Location: Palau Robert | Centre d’Informació de Catalunya | Passeig de Gràcia, 107 | 08008 Barcelona
Admission Price: Free. Mandatory registration at the exhibition website.

Workshops for secondary school science teachers:
Date: 9^th September at 10 am and 6 pm.
Time: 1 hour.
Location: Palau Robert | Centre d’Informació de Catalunya | Passeig de Gràcia, 107 | 08008 Barcelona
Admission Price: Free. Mandatory registration at the exhibition website.

Workshops for secondary students:
Dates: 23^rd September at 10 am and 1 pm. 2^nd and 9^th October at 10 am and 1 pm.
Time: 1 hour.
Location: Palau Robert | Centre d’Informació de Catalunya | Passeig de Gràcia, 107 | 08008 Barcelona
Admission Price: Free. Mandatory registration at the exhibition website.

App: “CRG Memory Game”:
iOS version: https://itunes.apple.com/es/app/crg-memory-game/id903833189?mt=8
Android version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crg.memorygame
 

FACTS:
Commission, idea and original script: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)  
Production: Banc Sabadell Foundation
Exhibition organised by: Palau Robert | Centre d’Informació de Catalunya

For further information and interviews:
Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) – Press Office
Laia Cendrós
Phone: +34 93 316 02 37