Ancient Artifact Data Encoded into Wheat Seed DNA
2024-12-31
Artist Wafaa Bilal's latest work, "In a Grain of Wheat," encodes the digital data of the 3,000-year-old Winged Bull of Nineveh into the DNA of Iraqi wheat seeds. The project aims to utilize molecular-digital data storage to preserve damaged Iraqi cultural heritage, combating destruction caused by war and terrorism. By encoding 3D scans of a sister statue from the Metropolitan Museum of Art into the wheat DNA, the project not only restores the ravaged artifact but also initiates a new chapter in transnational collaboration to protect cultural heritage, combining the powers of art, science, and nature to safeguard global cultural memory for future generations.
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