“Unraveling (Orange/Salmon/Oxygen)” is part of a series of animations that present mesmerizing meditations on invisible entanglements between natural and constructed worlds. The digital animations are created using molecular visualization software and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein models. They include playful manipulations of folded protein forms, known as “conformations”, which determine biological function including infectivity. Using specialized features of molecular visualization software in unconventional ways, the coronavirus spike protein is transformed by unraveling and morphing the folded and unfolded forms. The colors are chosen from the software’s palette for their references to nature such as plants, animals, and chemical elements. The video titles in the series echo the colors’ names that are evocative of idyllic representations of the natural world such as blue skies, green forests, ripe fruit and romantic flowers. The mere act of adding color is another layer of translation and fabrication since most viruses are smaller than visible wavelengths and therefore have no color. The color palette and its naming conventions reveal additional layers of abstraction built into the interfaces of the technologies we use to engage with and manipulate the natural world. “Unraveling” was developed in remote collaboration with scientists at biotech company Integral Molecular while “sheltering in place” for COVID-19. The soundscape for the Unraveling animations is an excerpt from a live improvised electric guitar performance by Frank Masciocchi recorded over Zoom in Summer of 2020. Masciocchi is a musician as well as the lab instrumentation engineer at Integral Molecular where he is responsible for installation, calibration and maintenance of lab equipment.
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