∴ 0=1 -origins of life 　| 2014

glass, tungsten, ammonia water, ethanol, Tesla coil, vacuum grease, vacuum pump, electric cable, acrylic board
H1500 W800 D350 (mm)

Through my artwork, I try to explore the eternal proposition of how lives were born. As we have diversities of hypotheses about the origin of life, none of them gets to the core of truth and whole things are yet in the mystery. One of the theories explains that the substance in early earth had a chemical reaction by some kind of energy such as thunder, meteorite impact, etc. and amino acid was generated. This amino acid formed into protein and even into DNA and the life was born. I am interested in the process of generation of amino acid and I made a reproductive experiment modeling early earth and using thunder as a source of energy. In the experiment, ammonia water and ethanol are poured into the glass flask and impurity (air) is vacuumed by the vacuum pump. As the flask is depressurized, ammonia and ethanol will turn into the gas and mixture of these two will be filled in the flask. The high voltage of the spark discharge, in which it is the imitation of thunder, put into the flask and keep this condition for about 20 hours alternately on and off spark discharge one hour each. After all, the amino acid will be accumulated in the flask. And the proof of generation of amino acid is tested by the ninhydrin method. The yellow and purple marks in the filter paper are representing the presence of amino acid. Yet, this generation of amino acid is very uncertain to be called as the source of real life, because the explanations of how protein is generated from amino acid and how DNA is formed from protein are still far from elucidation. Therefore the environment of early earth and the origin of life are still in whole mysteries and fantasy. How we can reach the solution of this never-ending mystery of the origin of life. Where we are coming from and where we are going. What the existence of human being is. Even though the origin of life is still veiled in mystery, I want to make a cue to the viewers to feel and think such a questions from a different perspective through my work.

∴ 0=1 -amino acid purple 　| 2014

amino acid, ninhydrin reagent, filter paper, copper, solder
H200 W200 (mm)