Pei-Ying Lin with Miranda de Graaf

Tame is to Tame

In collaboration with Viroscience lab, Erasmus University Medical Center (EMC)

A conceptual ‘dance’ between humans and viruses and explores an alternative human-virus relationship in depth

Tame is to Tame is a conceptual ‘dance’ between humans and viruses and explores an alternative human-virus relationship in depth. The virus-taming program is built upon virology research and shows people an alternative way to look at the ‘invisible and inanimate’ viruses – which we consider as enemies – and illustrates how these ‘agents’ can redefine the cultural definition of human and individualism.

Laudatio:
Jury: this project made a compelling re-framing of how we think of viruses, pushing it to evolve from the warfare like characterization of ‘kill at any cost’ to a more domestication and collaborative model. The jury thought it links well to urgent topics of our time, particularly the worrying emergence of opposition to vaccines as well as the rise of antibacterial resistant microbes. The jury was also impressed by the metaphor of a dance, a performative intertwining of beings, between the human and the virus, that changes over time as evolution works like a DJ, shaping the interaction.

The jury noted that Pei-Ying was applying here a second time to the BAD award, demonstrating a commitment and enthusiasm undeterred by earlier rejection. The jury also concluded that this project made the difficult achievement of balancing the fantastical with the potentially useful, in terms of public health goals, by way of a fictional narrative that is at turns didactic and poetic.

More information:
Collaboration with Viroscience lab, Erasmus University Medical Center (EMC).
Pei-Ying Lin 
Erasmus MC Viroscience Lab