In mid-September, Associate Professor Jennifer Johung will be traveling to Perth, Western Australia to set up a group exhibition entitled DeMonstrable.

In October 1995, when the BBC aired striking footage of a nude mouse with a human ear growing on its back, it was both vilified and celebrated. This living object became one of the defining images of the late twentieth century, symbolizing our growing capacity to manipulate life.

Twenty years later, on October 3, 2015, DeMonstrable will open at the Lawrence Wilson Gallery at the University of Western Australia, marking the anniversary of the ear-mouse as well as the birth of tissue engineering and by extension regenerative medicine.  Curated by renowned biological artist Oron Catts with Jennifer Johung and philosopher of science Elizabeth Stephens, the exhibition engages with the impact of this living object across both the arts and the life sciences.  A range of newly commissioned and contemporary artwork across a variety of media by Patricia Piccinini, Stelarc, Art Orienté Objet, Frances Cadet, Nina Sellars, Beatriz da Costa, Lu Yang, Tané Andrews, Donna Franklin, Oron Catts and Robert Foster will be displayed alongside an ear grown from decellularized apple by Andrew Pelling as well as objects and paraphernalia from the Vacanti laboratory where the ear-mouse was developed.

The exhibition is supported by a multi-year Australian Council Grant for Emerging and Experimental Arts.

In addition to the exhibition which runs until December 5th, Jennifer will be presenting a new paper, “Viral Pluripotency,” as well as speaking on a panel about DeMonstrable at the Inaugural Rest of the World Meeting of the Society for Literature, Science and the Arts held at the University of Western Australia. She will also be chairing a panel on experimental curation at National Experimental Arts Forum which is also being held this year in Perth.