At first glance, a sculpture at first glance welcomes visitors at the academgorodok campus of Novosibirsk, one of the regions of Russia, which is identified with science: the laboratory mouse monument. This original work is a monument of gratitude dedicated to the invisible heroes – laboratory mice – beyond being an artistic work.
The sculpture, which was opened on 1 July 2013 on the 120th anniversary of the city, was also implemented within the scope of the 55th anniversary of the Cytology and Genetic Institute. This project, which was financed by the CJSC “Medical-Biological Union ,, also stands out as a public relations success that reflects Siberia’s science culture.
A meaningful depiction: DNA ruins mouse
Located in the center of the statue bronze mouse The figure is described in the middle of a scientific discovery moment. The mouse is depicted with the dual winding of the DNA with the pince-nez glasses and knitting skewers held in the claws placed on the tip of the nose. Although the bronze figure is only 70 cm high, it reaches 2.5 meters in total with the granite base.
The DNA spiral in the statue is curled to the left, and this detail involves a reference to the Z-DNA form, which has not yet been fully understood. While Z-DNA symbolizes the unknowns that science is still discovering, it is thought that the sculpture implies what can be achieved when scientific progress is approached with an open mind.
Science from the eyes of art: the story of design
Andrey Kharkevich, the artist of Novosibirsk, the designer of the sculpture, created this original composition after doing more than that. According to him, the mouse is not only an experimental animal, but also a scientist. “If you look carefully at your eyes, you may see that this mouse has found something, but ‘Evrika!’ The scream was not heard, “ Der Kharkevich.
Sculptor Aleksey Agrilyansky emphasizes that when creating the mouse figure, he should not resemble a real animal or a cartoon character. According to him, this mouse should be a symbolic being that melts anatomical accuracy and emotional expression in the same pot.
The breakdown of the statue was made by the bronze master Maksim Petrov in Tomsk. The project, which is worth approximately $ 50,000, has not only sculpture, but also a comprehensive campus with its surrounding landscape arrangement.
Ethical Sensitivity and Social Comments
The main purpose of the monument is to pay a loyalty to millions of laboratory mouse sacrificed in scientific studies. However, the sculpture not only a thank you to the past, but also a message of responsibility for the future. Especially in the present day, where the ethical limits of animal experiments are frequently discussed, the monument “A romantized cover of conscience” was also criticized as.
Animal rights defenders pointed out that such symbols may ignore the objectivity of animals; Some art critics argue that the sculpture reflects the emotional and conscientious aspect of science and redefines the human-animal relationship in an artistic context.
Spatial Transformation of Scientific Representation
The area of the statue is not only a monument park, but also an outdoor genetic museum. This area, which is located on the campus of the Cytology and Genetic Institute, has been restructured as a science Alley with small sculptures, DNA motif arrangements and information boards.
In this respect, the monument serves as a symbolic field in which both scientists and different segments of society can interact. This place, which aims to love science especially for children and young visitors, transforms Russia’s scientific heritage into a visual memory.
Popular culture and international interest
Laboratory mouse monumenthas attracted the attention of the international media and art community since its opening. The sculpture, which was found in respectable broadcasting organs such as Smithsonian Magazine and Atlas Obscura, has been introduced as “one of the most meaningful statues in the world ve and visited by many art lovers on social media platforms.
The monument is also honored in the regional public relations award of the regional public relations. This success shows how strong the cultural impact can be when science is blended with aesthetics and ethics.
Conclusion: A conscience from bronze
Laboratory Mouse Monument, It is not only a thanks to the experimental animals that play an important role in genetic science, but also an expression of science ethics and conscience of humanity. A mouse with glasses that ruin DNA spiral symbolizes the common heritage of living things that work quietly in the laboratories and scientists who direct them.
This monument, which stands in the intersection of science and art, is the sculpture of respect for not only Russia, but also to science and its invisible heroes of the whole world.
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