Case Study: ASCUS Lab - Scotland’s first publicly accessible science lab - for artists, for scientists, for everyone
The ASCUS Lab is a unique, one-of-a-kind facility where anyone, no matter their level of experience, can use the scientific lab equipment for their own creative or personal projects, or in one of our training courses or tailor-made workshops. We offer training and personalised project support on themes such as how to grow microorganisms for a variety of applications, how to use microscopes, break down some of the negative connotations people associate with science and provide a space where art and science meet and integrate.
The full extent of ASCUS is difficult to describe in a text format, it really is better to see it in person for the full sensory experience: machines whirring in the background, smells of microbes-gone-past lingering in the air and not knowing exactly where to look at first with all the science equipment -donated from decommissioned labs from universities, museums and the NHS- lining the lab benches.
We are first and foremost a community space. We are a non-profit organisation that tries to keep our lab fees as low as possible to allow as many people as possible to engage with art and science. It is in ASCUS’ central location at Summerhall that individuals, free from the silos of institutional thinking, can meet, express and bring to fruition ideas and concepts that are difficult to manifest in either discipline alone.
Over the years, lab users have created garments constructed from a leather-like-material made from bacteria and yeast, sculptures made out of the “roots” of mushrooms, inspiring artwork created from the microscopic universe contained in a puddle, using bacteria as natural textile dyes, genetically modifying plants to absorb some of the harmful chemical practices used in photography darkrooms, developing a rapid water monitoring test for harmful bacteria, developing an algae bioreactor that can offset carbon emissions, and so much more.
With the world shifting to explore more sustainable futures, ASCUS has been approached by universities starting new modules that explore working with non-human organisms, to offer cultural reflections on working with non-humans and to give insight into the techniques and processes involved in working with these organisms from the perspective of art and science hybrid practice, which is commonplace at ASCUS but not always within traditional institutions. Students not only at local universities, but from across the UK have come to use the ASCUS Lab due to the lack of facilities at their institutions to support interdisciplinary lab experimentation. Without a space like the ASCUS Lab, we would not see incredible, innovative ideas come to fruition from both artists and scientists.
In addition to facilitating the ASCUS Lab, over the years ASCUS has organised and participated in a wide range of events and projects that have brought together artists, scientists and the public. These have included exhibitions, featuring international interdisciplinary artists, workshops, talks, courses and performances, as well as collaborations with organisations such as Edinburgh Science, schools and community groups such as Youth Vision Scotland, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace Trust.
In 2011 we were invited by Robert McDowell to join the community in the early stages at Summerhall. Our mission was (and remains) to bridge the gap between the arts and sciences, to provide a platform and build a community of artists, designers, scientists and others who are driven to explore how working across disciplinary lines can develop new collaborations, excite experimentation, reach wider audiences and provoke curiosity. There is no better place to do that than in Summerhall, a space that has seen both scientific (as the former vet school) and creative innovation within its walls.
Website: www.ascus.org.uk
Email: lab@ascus.org.uk