“Resilient Encoded”
digital image on vinyl on glass
61×167” (155x424cm)
2021
In this design, “RESILIENT” sits atop the 28,911 letters that represent the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). With resilience, our species has persevered through the most overwhelming of Nature’s obstacles. This is not the first pandemic humanity has seen, nor will it be the last.
Our DNA is comprised of four nucleotides (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine), and viruses are also constructed with this same genetic structure. In “Resilient Encoded,” the small font of the nucleotides invites the viewer into the image to recognize that this combination of tiny letters is what has had such a monumental impact on human experience. In this image the word “RESILIENT” has erased many of the letters of the genetic sequence, just as this genetic sequence continues to erase life from this planet.
Robert Castillo 