Participants
Artist: Vincent Devine
Patient partners: Siobhan Freeney (lobular breast cancer), Alan Pearson (neuroblastoma), Deirdre O’Raw & Bridget Carr (ovarian cancer), Ann Fleming (multiple myeloma).
Researchers: Assoc. Prof. Antoinette Perry, Dr. Maria Prencipe (ovarian and prostate cancer), Prof. Walter Kolch (digital twins, precision medicine), Prof. William Gallagher & Dr. Arman Rahman (breast cancer), Prof. Ronan Cahill (MMUH, UCD Centre of Precision Surgery), Prof. Breandán Kennedy (uveal melanoma), Dr. Stephen Thorpe (pancreatic cancer), and PhD students, Adele Connor, Arif Jahangir, Caoimbhe Burke.
Public engagement team: Elaine Quinn, Anna Wedderburn, Rosemarie Gannon.
Aims
The prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer is a major challenge for us as humans. Since November 2022, Vincent Devine, a noted Irish artist, has worked with Professor William Gallagher and other cancer researchers in UCD, along with patient partners, to explore how cancer affects patients and their families: from molecules, to cells, to tissues, to impacts on the whole human body, to personal impact.
The result is a series of co-created artworks, The Vitruvian: Uncovering the Layers of Cancer, which provide a unique insight into how researchers at UCD Conway Institute study cancer through different perspectives and approaches alongside how patients experience this disease.
Conversations with both cancer researchers and patients partners have been translated into a set of five paintings by Devine, which incorporate both visual scientific imagery and the human experience of cancer into their design.
Methods
Research time included conversations with patient partners and researchers. These conversations provided research and clinical overviews, as well as perspectives on the impact of cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment experienced by patients and their families.
The primary objective of this project was to facilitate display of these creative works in an exhibition format in two community settings during Science Week 2023 at urban (Dublin) and regional (Offaly) venues. To bring the exhibition to life at each exhibition venue, public engagement events involving the artist and some of the team (researchers, patient partners, technical staff) took place.
This format built on the success of a previous SFI Discover project (STEP Through the Looking Glass, by Lorna Donlon, UCD Conway artist in residence 2020/2021). As part of the exhibition, conversations were facilitated to describe the creative process, how people are trying to better understand cancer to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies, as well as to explore survivorship and quality of life.
The artist used the main painting as a visual map to tell the story of cancer research. It allowed researchers to provide a clear, simple and concise visual description of their area of expertise. Each patient partner recounted their cancer journey highlighting the impact the disease has on a human level. The exhibition supported conversations between scientists, patient partners and the public that fostered an understanding and promoted public awareness of efforts by cancer researchers to improve the standard of care to the end user, the patient.
UCD Conway scientists were supported to participate in this public engagement project. The process of explaining complex scientific processes in plain English – initially to the artist and subsequently to the public – is a valuable, transferable skill. Through the exhibition and associated 14 engagement events, the public were given the opportunity to engage with STEM in a way that they may not have experienced previously.
The public heard about cancer research from the perspectives of scientists investigating the disease; from patient partners about their lived experience; and from the artist who spoke about his journey from knowing virtually nothing about this topic to visually representing the disease on many levels. Crucially, the key message of hope was conveyed to the public.
The method increased public awareness of the role that patient partners and the public can play within the research process: The patient partners in this project were central to achieving this objective. Their lived experience brought a connection and relevance to the conversations with the public that scientists cannot access. Even for those patient partners themselves, the visual representation of a disease that they have experienced provoked a very powerful and emotive response.
Artistic Outputs
Devine was commissioned initially to produce a large scale painting (170cm x 170cm, acrylic on canvas) and subsequently funded to produce four derivative paintings (each 80cm x 80cm, acrylic on canvas).
The work/works have been exhibited at the following events and are currently planned for further exhibitions:
FEB 2023 CHOIRS FOR CANCER, O’Reilly Hall, Belfield, Dublin.
JUN 2023 UCD FESTIVAL, O’Brien Science Centre West, Belfield, Dublin.
SEP 2023 CANCER RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM, Catherine McAuley Centre, Phibsborough, Dublin 7.
OCT 2023 CONWAY20, O’Reilly Hall, Belfield, Dublin.
NOV 2023 SCIENCE WEEK EVENT, Esker Arts Centre, Tullamore, Offaly.
NOV 2023 SCIENCE WEEK EVENT, Dundrum Shopping Centre, Dublin.
JAN 2024 THE ROBERT BOYLE WINTER SCHOOL, The Royal Dublin Society, Dublin.
FEB 2024 EACR-AACR-IACR 2024, The Convention Centre Dublin.
The narrative descriptions of specific areas within the painting are hosted on Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/eN3uoB3d8MuH5zQ28
Evaluation Methodology
Due to the nature of the Science Week events, feedback was primarily gathered through sticky notes on a feedback board and an exhibition guest book. Direct feedback from visitors was also obtained through conversations with the artist, researchers, and patient partners, who supervised the exhibition. The researchers and patient partners, seeing the finished paintings for the first time, also provided important feedback.
Although pre- and post-event surveys were initially planned, the shift in venue to Dundrum Town Centre made this approach impractical, leading to the use of more informal feedback methods like the sticky notes.
Evaluation Outcomes
Public Response: The exhibition deeply resonated with the public, demonstrating the powerful impact of art and science collaborations. The paintings played a crucial role during discussion events, supporting the ‘dual-coding theory,’ which suggests that people process information through both verbal and nonverbal channels. Feedback included comments like “Overwhelming—no words!” and “Extraordinary work of global importance.”
Patient Partners: The paintings had a profound emotional impact on the patient partners. Deirdre, who had ovarian cancer, was deeply moved by seeing the extent of her illness visualized, something she had never fully realized before: “I had ovarian cancer, but people never see the scars.” Alan, whose daughter Beany passed away from neuroblastoma, expressed gratitude for how the painting captured her legacy, with his family becoming emotional upon seeing it: “Thank you Liam and Vincent for helping create this legacy.” – Alan P ‘Beanys’ Dad.
Researchers: Researchers found the process “fascinating,” appreciating how the paintings helped communicate their complex work in a more accessible way. They described the collaboration as a wonderful blend of science and art, with the visual representation aiding in explaining intricate concepts at the cellular and molecular levels. “It was such a different way of communicating what we do.”
Overall, the paintings successfully communicated complex scientific ideas and personal stories, resonating deeply with all involved.
Documentation and Dissemination
Project outcomes were shared with public audiences through digital, social and broadcast media including:
Communications: Owned Media – Web
Communications: Earned – Media coverage
Partners
- Researchers at UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research
- Patient partners
- Management teams in Esker Arts, Tullamore led by Artistic Director, Sean Walsh and Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin led by manager, Don Nugent
- All-Island Cancer Research Institute.
