2017
Objects identified by a DNA code
As part of Dominique Peysson's artistic residency at the Espace Jean-Roger Caussimon in Tremblay-en-France, in partnership with Lieu Multiple, the DNA school and the Ebi-Carbios laboratory in Poitiers, and supported by the Département de la Seine-Saint-Denis and the Région Ile-de-France.
DNA in Plastics was exhibited from 5 January to 10 March 2017 for the Première Impression exhibition, made up of 5 of my DNA works.
My idea is to use the coding power of DNA in my own way, to mark objects that you want to be able to authenticate. It couldn't be simpler: all you have to do is mix a very short synthetic DNA that I've had made with the source material. As for the quantity to put in, I naturally choose to mix the same proportion of DNA as in our own bodies, i.e. 0.4% by weight of the final object. Analysing this little piece of DNA will give me the exact identity of the origin of my object.
I've created a pictorial representation of the list of ATGC letters that will make up my little pieces of DNA. Each letter is colour-coded. A solid square subdivided into 25 smaller coloured squares shows the order of the nucleotides at a glance. The 5x5 coloured square is similar to a QR code.
In fact, it can be easily combined with a classic black and white QR code, by establishing a simple relationship between each colour and a sub-division of small black and white squares. The colour QR code can then be easily redirected to a website that can be used as a reference for the object in question.
All plastic objects could thus be marked and authenticated by this DNA of objects...
