Medien Wiki - User contributions [en]

GMU:Diy biolab drivers license SoSe26

2026-07-15T15:03:08Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

''Venue:'' Marienstraße 5, room 202/204

''Lecturer(s):'' Alessandro Volpato

Friday 17.04.26 / 9.15 - 12.15

Friday 24.04.26 / 9.15 - 12.45

Friday 08.05.26 / 9.15 - 12.45

''Modules'':

Introduction to the Do-It-Yourself biology lab:

* Examples of bioart, and how to produce art using biological agents
* Rules of the lab
* Safety in the lab
* Description and introduction to lab equipment
* Brainstorming session to shape up ideasStructuring projects and work in a biology lab:

* Brainstorming session
* Sorting and refining ideas
* Translating the concepts into feasible and reasonable project plans
* How to execute a project in a biology labPhotography and videography with microscopes:

* Basic understanding of microscopy concepts
* Training in using a microscope and a stereoscope
* Taking pictures and video at the microscopes
* Sample preparation

The course serves as introduction to the DIY BioLab and its routine.

Admission and Contact:

* No previous experience in a laboratory is required

* Write a short E-Mail introducing yourself and the motivation that brought you to the course. If you have a project in mind, describe the idea in a couple of sentence.

* Alessandro Volpato
* E-Mail: alessandro.volpato@uni-weimar.de

Documentation:

[[/Daria Lukianchuk]]

/[[Daria Lashutina]]

/[[Kiana Sedighi]]

/[[User:Ari Va|Ari Va]]

User:Ari Va

2026-07-15T15:01:15Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

== The Disappeared Persist: A Study in Degradation ==

== Concept ==
The image used in this project is a collage published by Amnesty International showing some of the victims of Iran’s 1988 prison massacres. Thousands of political prisoners were forcibly disappeared and extrajudicially executed. Their bodies were not returned to their families, and information about their fate and burial places has continued to be concealed.

I was interested in the connection between this political erasure and the physical degradation of an image. The experiment asks a simple question: how much can an image be weakened before it disappears completely? As the paper and print begin to change, the faces remain visible.

== Process ==
I printed the collage in black and white on regular office paper and exposed it to water collected from the Ilm River, together with a small amount of natural sediment.

I started with a shallow container in which the print was kept continuously wet. I documented the sample through photographs over one week. As a second, spontaneous experiment, I placed another print around the inside of a glass jar, filled it with the same river water and kept the image fully submerged.

== Shallow Sample — One Week ==
The first slide compares the complete sample on Day 1 and Day 7. The second slide shows a detail from the same area over the same period.

After one week, the contrast had become softer, some parts of the image had blurred or changed unevenly, and sediment had settled on the paper. The surface of the paper had also visibly changed, while the faces remained recognizable.
[[File:Slide 01.png|center|thumb|598x598px|Shallow Sample ]]
[[File:Slide 02.png|center|thumb|599x599px|Shallow Sample - Closer look]]

== Closed Jar Test ==
The jar test began as a parallel experiment to see how the same image would change when kept completely underwater in a closed container.

The print was placed against the inside wall of the jar and remained fully submerged in Ilm River water. The following videos document the condition of the image, water and sediment after one week. So far, the visible changes seem to come mainly from the action of the water and the degradation of the paper. There is little clearly visible biological activity at this stage.[[File:Sample Observation.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test|center]]Closed-jar immersion test - Closer look[[File:Sample Observation - Closer look.mov|thumb|center]]
==Ongoing Documentation==
Both samples are still being observed. I will continue documenting their changes through photographs and video and add further material to this page.<blockquote>'''Image source:''' Amnesty International, ''Blood-Soaked Secrets: Why Iran’s 1988 Prison Massacres Are Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity''. Cover collage of some of the victims of the 1988 prison massacres in Iran. © Amnesty International.</blockquote>

User:Ari Va

2026-07-15T14:59:39Z

Arian Vazirdaftari: Created page with "== The Disappeared Persist: A Study in Degradation == == Concept == The image used in this project is a collage published by Amnesty International showing some of the victims of Iran’s 1988 prison massacres. Thousands of political prisoners were forcibly disappeared and extrajudicially executed. Their bodies were not returned to their families, and information about their fate and burial places has continued to be concealed. I was interested in the connection between..."

User:Arian Vazirdaftari

2026-07-15T13:43:15Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

== The Disappeared Persist: A Study in Degradation ==
== Concept ==
The image used in this project is a collage published by Amnesty International showing some of the victims of Iran’s 1988 prison massacres. Thousands of political prisoners were forcibly disappeared and extrajudicially executed. Their bodies were not returned to their families, and information about their fate and burial places has continued to be concealed.

I was interested in the connection between this political erasure and the physical degradation of an image. The experiment asks a simple question: how much can an image be weakened before it disappears completely? As the paper and print begin to change, the faces remain visible.

== Process ==
I printed the collage in black and white on regular office paper and exposed it to water collected from the Ilm River, together with a small amount of natural sediment.

I started with a shallow container in which the print was kept continuously wet. I documented the sample through photographs over one week. As a second, spontaneous experiment, I placed another print around the inside of a glass jar, filled it with the same river water and kept the image fully submerged.

== Shallow Sample — One Week ==
The first slide compares the complete sample on Day 1 and Day 7. The second slide shows a detail from the same area over the same period.

After one week, the contrast had become softer, some parts of the image had blurred or changed unevenly, and sediment had settled on the paper. The surface of the paper had also visibly changed, while the faces remained recognizable.
[[File:Slide 01.png|thumb|center|396x396px]]
[[File:Slide 02.png|thumb|center|399x399px]]

== Closed Jar Test ==
The jar test began as a parallel experiment to see how the same image would change when kept completely underwater in a closed container.

The print was placed against the inside wall of the jar and remained fully submerged in Ilm River water. The following videos document the condition of the image, water and sediment after one week. So far, the visible changes seem to come mainly from the action of the water and the degradation of the paper. There is little clearly visible biological activity at this stage.[[File:Sample Observation.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test|center]]
[[File:Sample Observation - Closer look.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test - Closer look|center]]

== Ongoing Documentation ==
Both samples are still being observed. I will continue documenting their changes through photographs and video and add further material to this page.

<blockquote>'''Image source:''' Amnesty International, ''Blood-Soaked Secrets: Why Iran’s 1988 Prison Massacres Are Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity''. Cover collage of some of the victims of the 1988 prison massacres in Iran. © Amnesty International.</blockquote>

User:Arian Vazirdaftari

2026-07-15T13:37:33Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

== The Disappeared Persist: A Study in Degradation ==
== Concept ==
The image used in this project is based on a collage published by Amnesty International showing some of the victims of Iran’s 1988 prison massacres. Thousands of political prisoners were forcibly disappeared and extrajudicially executed. Their bodies were not returned to their families, and information about their fate and burial places has continued to be concealed.

I was interested in the connection between this political erasure and the physical degradation of an image. The experiment asks a simple question: how much can an image be weakened before it disappears completely? As the paper and print begin to change, the faces remain visible.

== Process ==
I printed the collage in black and white on regular office paper and exposed it to water collected from the Ilm River, together with a small amount of natural sediment.

I started with a shallow container in which the print was kept continuously wet. I documented the sample through photographs over one week. As a second, spontaneous experiment, I placed another print around the inside of a glass jar, filled it with the same river water and kept the image fully submerged.

== Shallow Sample — One Week ==
The first slide compares the complete sample on Day 1 and Day 7. The second slide shows a detail from the same area over the same period.

After one week, the contrast had become softer, some parts of the image had blurred or changed unevenly, and sediment had settled on the paper. The surface of the paper had also visibly changed, while the faces remained recognizable.
[[File:Slide 01.png|thumb|center|396x396px]]
[[File:Slide 02.png|thumb|center|399x399px]]

== Closed Jar Test ==
The jar test began as a parallel experiment to see how the same image would change when kept completely underwater in a closed container.

The print was placed against the inside wall of the jar and remained fully submerged in Ilm River water. The following videos document the condition of the image, water and sediment after one week. So far, the visible changes seem to come mainly from the action of the water and the degradation of the paper. There is little clearly visible biological activity at this stage.[[File:Sample Observation.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test|center]]
[[File:Sample Observation - Closer look.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test - Closer look|center]]

== Ongoing Documentation ==
Both samples are still being observed. I will continue documenting their changes through photographs and video and add further material to this page.

<blockquote>'''Image source:''' Amnesty International, ''Blood-Soaked Secrets: Why Iran’s 1988 Prison Massacres Are Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity''. Cover collage of some of the victims of the 1988 prison massacres in Iran. © Amnesty International.</blockquote>

User:Arian Vazirdaftari

2026-07-15T13:20:13Z

Arian Vazirdaftari: /* The Disappeared Persist: A Study in Degradation */

== The Disappeared Persist: A Study in Degradation ==

The image used in this experiment is a collage published on the cover of Amnesty International’s report ''Blood-Soaked Secrets''. Amnesty describes it as a collage of some of the victims of Iran’s 1988 prison massacres. The faces belong to political prisoners who were among the thousands forcibly disappeared and extrajudicially executed in prisons across Iran between late July and early September 1988. Many were young men and women, some still teenagers, who had been imprisoned for their political beliefs or activities. Their bodies were not returned to their families, and the authorities have continued to conceal or deny information about their fate and burial places.

The project looks at the tension between this attempted erasure and the continued presence of the victims in photographs and public memory. I wanted to see whether the material image could be weakened and degraded without the faces disappearing completely.

I printed the collage on regular paper and exposed it to water and sediment collected from the Ilm river. One sample was kept wet in a shallow container. In a second, spontaneous test, I placed the same image around the inside of a glass jar and kept it fully submerged in river water. During the first week, the paper absorbed water, the contrast became softer, some parts of the image blurred or changed unevenly, and sediment settled on the surface. So far, the visible transformation appears to come mainly from the action of the water and the material degradation of the paper rather than from strong biological growth. I continued to document both samples through photographs and video.

== Sample Transformation ==
[[File:Slide 01.png|thumb|center|707x707px]]
[[File:Slide 02.png|thumb|center|734x734px]]

== Second Experiment ==
In a second, spontaneous test, I placed the same image around the inside of a glass jar and kept it fully submerged in river water.[[File:Sample Observation.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test|center]]
[[File:Sample Observation - Closer look.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test - Closer look|center]]

GMU:Diy biolab drivers license SoSe26

2026-07-15T11:29:31Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

User:Arian Vazirdaftari

2026-07-15T11:26:56Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

== The Disappeared Persist: A Study in Degradation ==

The image used in this experiment is a collage published on the cover of Amnesty International’s report ''Blood-Soaked Secrets''. Amnesty describes it as a collage of some of the victims of Iran’s 1988 prison massacres. The faces belong to political prisoners who were among the thousands forcibly disappeared and extrajudicially executed in prisons across Iran between late July and early September 1988. Many were young men and women, some still teenagers, who had been imprisoned for their political beliefs or activities. Their bodies were not returned to their families, and the authorities have continued to conceal or deny information about their fate and burial places.

The project looks at the tension between this attempted erasure and the continued presence of the victims in photographs and public memory. I wanted to see whether the material image could be weakened and degraded without the faces disappearing completely.

I printed the collage on regular paper and exposed it to water and sediment collected from the Ilm river. One sample was kept wet in a shallow container. In a second, spontaneous test, I placed the same image around the inside of a glass jar and kept it fully submerged in river water. During the first week, the paper absorbed water, the contrast became softer, some parts of the image blurred or changed unevenly, and sediment settled on the surface. So far, the visible transformation appears to come mainly from the action of the water and the material degradation of the paper rather than from strong biological growth. I continued to document both samples through photographs and video.[[File:Slide 01.png|thumb|center|897x897px]]
[[File:Slide 02.png|thumb|center|909x909px]]
[[File:Sample Observation.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test|center]]
[[File:Sample Observation - Closer look.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test - Closer look|center]]

User:Arian Vazirdaftari

2026-07-15T11:14:24Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

The starting point of this experiment was a simple question: can an image be weakened without disappearing completely? I used a collage of people connected to political disappearance and erased memory, printed it on regular paper, and exposed it to water and sediment collected from the Ilm river. One sample was kept wet in a shallow container. In a second, spontaneous test, I placed the same image around the inside of a glass jar and kept it fully submerged in river water. During the first week, the paper absorbed water, the contrast became softer, some parts of the image blurred or changed unevenly, and sediment settled on the surface. So far, the visible transformation seems to come mainly from the action of the water and the material degradation of the paper, rather than from strong biological growth. I am continuing to document both samples through photographs and video to observe whether the faces remain visible as the material changes further.[[File:Slide 01.png|thumb|center|897x897px]]
[[File:Slide 02.png|thumb|center|909x909px]]
[[File:Sample Observation.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test|center]]
[[File:Sample Observation - Closer look.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test - Closer look|center]]

User:Arian Vazirdaftari

2026-07-15T11:13:18Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

The starting point of this experiment was a simple question: can an image be weakened without disappearing completely? I used a collage of people connected to political disappearance and erased memory, printed it on regular paper, and exposed it to water and sediment collected from the Ilm river. One sample was kept wet in a shallow container. In a second, spontaneous test, I placed the same image around the inside of a glass jar and kept it fully submerged in river water. During the first week, the paper absorbed water, the contrast became softer, some parts of the image blurred or changed unevenly, and sediment settled on the surface. So far, the visible transformation seems to come mainly from the action of the water and the material degradation of the paper, rather than from strong biological growth. I am continuing to document both samples through photographs and video to observe whether the faces remain visible as the material changes further.[[File:Slide 01.png|thumb|center|897x897px]]
[[File:Slide 02.png|thumb|center|909x909px]]
[[File:Sample Observation.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test]]
[[File:Sample Observation - Closer look.mov|thumb|Closed-jar immersion test - Closer look]]

User:Arian Vazirdaftari

2026-07-15T10:59:13Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

[[File:Slide 01.png|thumb|After one week, the sample shows visible softening of contrast and surface alteration.]]
[[File:Slide 02.png|thumb|These two images are detail views of the same sample, showing visible softening of contrast and surface alteration after one week.]]
[[File:Sample Observation.mov|thumb]]
[[File:Sample Observation - Closer look.mov|thumb]]

File:Sample Observation - Closer look.mov

2026-07-15T10:59:04Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

Sample Observation - Closer look

File:Sample Observation.mov

2026-07-15T10:57:59Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

Sample Observation

User:Arian Vazirdaftari

2026-07-15T10:56:46Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

File:Slide 02.png

2026-07-15T10:56:28Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

Detail Transformation Over One Week

User:Arian Vazirdaftari

2026-07-15T10:55:36Z

Arian Vazirdaftari: Created page with "After one week, the sample shows visible softening of contrast and surface alteration."

[[File:Slide 01.png|thumb|After one week, the sample shows visible softening of contrast and surface alteration.]]

File:Slide 01.png

2026-07-15T10:54:53Z

Arian Vazirdaftari:

Sample Transformation Over One Week