Art in ART
Gina Glover has created a range of artworks for the Assisted Conception Unit (ACU) at Guy’s and St Thomas. The Centre provides Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) and genetic treatment as part of the Women’s Health directorate.
The commission reflects the Charity’s commitment to providing all major hospital refurbishments with site specific art. It contributed over £1 million towards the £4 million refurbishment to provide improved facilities enabling more couples to be assisted, improving privacy, and providing greater opportunities for translational research. The Medical Research Council contributed £1.1 million and King’s College London – the academic partner of the Trust - funded the remainder.
Gina was commissioned by the Charity to produce artworks which would enhance the environment, making patients and their families feel relaxed, whilst also reflecting ideas and images relating to the setting.
Artworks adorn the walls leading from the entrance, through to the waiting area, as well as the consultation and treatment rooms. Involving collage, painting and photography, the artworks are both aesthetically pleasing and stimulating.
As ‘artist in residence’ for a year, Gina attended meetings, looked down microscopes and asked staff about the ethical decisions facing them every day. She said: “I am informed by a desire to channel as many voices as possible from the setting into the making of my work.”
Gina was awarded the Royal Photographic Society’s Hood Medal on 2nd October 2008 for her “…outstanding advance in photography for public service”.
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Click on any of the images below to enlarge, or see more of Gina's works in the gallery »
In Donated Eggs ACU staff and their families and friends donated decorative eggs from their personal collections and Gina created new eggs for the display. The beautiful collection reflects the close working relationship between the artist and ACU staff.
Sperm Morphology is constructed from ties belonging to staff, arranged to show the variations in human sperm structure.
In A Question of Ethics, Nigella – Love in the mist and Lunaria-Honesty, flowers are placed on petri dishes surrounded by statements by staff, made in response to Gina’s questions about their personal resources, religious, ethical and cultural beliefs.