Art and Genetics: Free Workshops at Palazzo Coronini Cronberg

Interactive workshops in Palazzo Coronini Cronberg

Yet the Mona Lisa shows signs of possible hypercholesterolemia, Botticelli's Venus has a hollow foot, and dozens of sixteenth-century baby Jesuses exhibit traits of Down syndrome. Behind the beauty of masterpieces lies a diversity that artists portrayed naturally, without filters or censorship, in times when imperfection was not something to hide.

"Art and Genetics: Diversity as Uniqueness," a University of Trieste project funded by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, will bring two of its latest events to Gorizia: interactive workshops that teach how to look at art through the eyes of medicine, revealing how diversity has always been the source of human uniqueness.

The event will take place on Monday, February 9th at Palazzo Coronini Cronberg (Viale XX Settembre 14).

At 3 pm, the art workshop "Perfect Imperfection: When Illness Becomes Art" will take place, featuring Giacomo Andrea Faroldi and Francesca Boldrin, with dramaturgy and direction by Paolo Quazzolo and art history consulting by Massimo Degrassi.

At 5 pm, the scientific workshop "Interpreting Art with Genetics: From Paintings to the Code of Life" will follow, organized by the University of Trieste.

Two actors, aided by images, describe famous paintings, revealing the relationships between the depicted characters and the hypothesized pathologies.

Through constant interaction with the public, an excursus between history, art history, and medicine illuminates the potential of an interdisciplinary approach.

Spectators are involved in the scenic game, observing works ranging from prehistory to the contemporary age.

An engaging experience to discover genetics and rare diseases. Geneticists, researchers, and a special guest will accompany participants on an interactive journey that combines art, genetics, and active participation.

Quizzes, team challenges, and observation games transform the audience into the true protagonists of the event, where "imperfections" become the keys to understanding our shared history. Registration for the events (all free, but reservations required) is available on the Eventbrite platform ( https://www.eventbrite.it/cc/arte-e-genetica-4805501) .

The project was conceived by the University Clinical Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences of the University of Trieste under the scientific direction of Giorgia Girotto, also director of the Genomics and Bioinformatics Laboratory at the IRCCS Burlo Garofolo in Trieste.

At the core is iconodiagnostics, a discipline that applies medical diagnostics to the study of works of art to search for symptoms and clinical signs in the characters depicted.

Thanks to genomic technologies, it is now possible not only to formulate increasingly precise diagnoses in patients affected by rare diseases, but also to reinterpret the past: those clinical signs that were once interpreted as oddities or aesthetic peculiarities now likely find a scientific explanation at the molecular level.

Special attention is given to rare genetic diseases, which, through art and theater, transcend the abstraction of numbers to become recognizable, understandable, and human stories.

Empathy is the heart of the project: going beyond the diagnosis to meet the person in their entirety.

The initiative is carried out in partnership with the Burlo Garofolo Maternal and Child Health Institute, Stazione Rogers, Immaginario scientifico, and Il Rossetti – Teatro Stabile del Friuli Venezia Giulia, and in collaboration with the Municipality of Muggia and the Municipality of Udine.

Program (browsable version): https://www.divulgando.eu/artegenetica/

QR codes for registering for the meetings are available within the program (free admission with reservations required). Information: arte.genetica@units.it - www.units.it

Organized by: University of Trieste, Palazzo Coronini Cronberg