Verena Kaminiarz

Death Masks, 2008

Death Masks is a memorial to the animals that have been sacrificed for scientific research within the School of Anatomy and Human Biology.  Verena Kaminiarz research during her Master of Science (Biological Arts) was focused on laboratory mice, specifically disease model mice. For this project she asked the researchers using mice in their work to lend her the sacrificed animals (after they were finished with them, prior to their disposal) so that she could create death masks of these animals. She made 78 death masks over the course of 2 months.
Death Masks is a preliminary project within Kaminiarz’ major research project may the mice bite me if it is not true.  It takes the form of a research experiment that explores the possibility of disease model mice functioning as a medium for experimental portraiture.  Four mice modelled and named after four influential figures in literature, arts and philosophy who explored the animal/ human divide (Giles Deleuze, Joseph Beuys, Franz Kafka and Felix Gomes Torres) are currently in the Animal Facility within the School of Anatomy and Human Biology.  may the mice bite me if it is not true  opens up a conceptual space for a philosophical inquiry forcing consideration of four individual animals, their place within Kaminiarz’ research/ artistic production and the place of laboratory animals in general within scientific research.       .
Verena Kaminiarz was the first SymbioticA student who graduated from the Master of Science (Biological Arts) in 2008.
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