Charity launches DNA inspired London art trail

Twenty-one DNA inspired double helix sculptures will appear across London as part of Cancer Research UK’s campaign to raise awareness and funds for the Francis Crick Institute, a world-leading centre of biomedical research and innovation due to open in 2016.

The sculptures have been designed by leading artists, designers and sculptors from across the world, including Ai WeiWei, Thierry Noir, Zaha Hadid, Orla Kiely, Jane Morgan and twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken. Each of the designers was asked ‘what’s in your DNA?’ and the results are a mixture of intriguing and colourful designs that are sure to brighten up London this summer.

“We’re really excited to be launching our DNA inspired London art trail. It’s a great opportunity to raise awareness of Cancer Research UK’s involvement in the Crick, and we hope to raise lots of money for the campaign when the sculptures are auctioned off in the autumn.” – Andrew Pisker, Cancer Research UK

The sculptures will be based at some of London’s most iconic locations, including Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square and St Paul’s Cathedral. The trail will attract art enthusiasts, families and London workers alike, and not only is each sculpture a unique design, each also has a fun fact about DNA on the base. For example, did you know you share about 90 per cent of your DNA with a mouse, and about 50 per cent with a banana?

The trail will be live for ten weeks, with the sculptures then being auctioned at Christie’s in September. All the money raised will go towards the £100million that Cancer Research UK has pledged to raise for the Crick.

When it opens in 2016, the Crick will see more than 1,200 scientists coming under one roof to accelerate the rate of progress in tackling the major diseases, such as cancer, facing the global population. It is a visionary collaboration between six of the world’s leading medical research organisations: Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Wellcome Trust, Imperial College London, King’s College London and UCL (University College London).

Francis Crick was one of the people to discover the DNA double helix, alongside James Watson and Maurice Wilkins, and based on the work of Rosalind Franklin. It is thought to be one of the most significant discoveries in modern science and has transformed our understanding of the human body and disease. Crick was noted for his intelligence, openness to new ideas and collaborations with scientists working in different fields of expertise which are founding principles for the institute.

Andrew Pisker, board member of Create the Change campaign and chairman of the double helix art installation, said: “We’re really excited to be launching our DNA inspired London art trail celebrating Francis Crick’s incredible scientific achievement and bringing it to life on the streets of London this summer. It’s a great opportunity to raise awareness of Cancer Research UK’s involvement in the Crick, and we hope to raise lots of money for the campaign when the sculptures are auctioned off in the autumn.”

For more information on the Francis Crick Institute and the London art trail, and to find out how to register your interest in the auction, visit www.cruk.org/crick

ENDS

For further information, please contact the Cancer Research UK press office on 0203 469 8315 or at [email protected]. For out of hours, please call the duty press officer on 07050 264 059.