You Are Sensual in Vitro: A Visual Letter
For The Cell-based Microfluidic Brain-on-a-chip





Royal College of Art | Echoes of Science ONLINE Exhibition | 2021
“You Are Sensual in Vitro” is a visual epistolary document to the cell-based microfluidic brain-on-a-chip, celebrating its birth and having an intimate conversation related to bio-art.
This project intends to explore Jane Bennett’s “thing-power” and depict the sensuality of a fictional object via epistolary methodologies and visual design.
As a vibrant being, the microfluidic device shows its possibilities of developing subjectivity, autonomy and agency in narration. The project presents a experimental letter from the human artist Shontelle to her microfluidic brain-on-a-chip in 2068.
In the future, the applications of microfluidics devices and cell-based biosensors could have the potential to create a new episode of bio-art. What if your microfluidic chip shares the collective biological information with you? Will you make a collaborative artwork with the “semi-living object”?
There are two ways to enjoy the project, with (Click to explore): pure audio description or visual letter (moving image)
Research
Inspired by Open-source, community-driven microfluidics with Metafluidics David Kong. Nature Biotechnology 35, 523–529 (2017)
I started researching and gave a presentation in relation to the possibilities of microfluidic devices and bio-art practice. My expectation was to create a futuristic proposal to work with the new technologies in the bio-art field.
Writing & Audio Recording
Wording pratice by several thumbnails
Tonality practice and perform as a piece of poetry
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Visual system exploration & Video Editing
Creating video clips of droplets, membranes, and channels by various 3D modelling, creative coding and motion graphics techniques.
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Inspired by Open-source, community-driven microfluidics with Metafluidics David Kong. Nature Biotechnology 35, 523–529 (2017)
I started researching and gave a presentation in relation to the possibilities of microfluidic devices and bio-art practice. My expectation was to create a futuristic proposal to work with the new technologies in the bio-art field.
Writing & Audio Recording
Wording pratice by several thumbnails
Tonality practice and perform as a piece of poetry

Visual system exploration & Video Editing
Creating video clips of droplets, membranes, and channels by various 3D modelling, creative coding and motion graphics techniques.

