A three-year multidisciplinary collaboration that promotes scientific knowledge through art, involving researchers, artists, and participants.
The giant inflatable structures of Il Giardino del Cervello represent some of the brain’s main cell types, Neurons, Oligodendrocytes, Microglia, and Astrocytes, and are used by EBRI (European Brain Research Institute) researchers to explain the functioning of the brain. They were created in close collaboration with Dr. Raffaella Scardigli, to ensure anatomical accuracy in the design of the artworks.
On each year an event focused on a different aspect of the brain and was accompanied by activities developed together with a researcher specialising in that specific field.
Teatro Affabulazione, Rome (2021)
Viale Castaldi, Rome (2022, 2023)
Frascatiscienza, Settimana della Scienza, Frascati (2025)
Curated by CulturalPro
Federico La Regina, production and photography
Dr. Francesca Malerba, EBRI researcher in Biotechnology, Head of NGF lab, EBRI
Dr. Ivano Arisi, researcher in Biophysics, Head of Bioinformatics, EBRI
Raffaella Scardigli, researcher in Cellular Biology, National Research Council, Rome
Soundscape and Lighting Design by Alice Gussoni and Cristiano Benci
Antibodies: Our Heroes
Online, 2020
The first workshop, held in collaboration with Dr. Scardigli, had to be adapted due to COVID-19. It focused on antibodies, exploring their structure and inviting children to reimagine them as protectors.
Using using materials commonly found at home children transformed their antibody model into a ‘superhero’ to protect what was most precious to them: the sea, family, nature, their playground.
The Common Thread
Rome, 2021
A participatory open workshop developed in collaboration with
Dr Francesca Malerba, exploring the implication of NGF (Nerve Growth Factor) molecule in pain transmission and the rejuvenation of the brain.
Through weaving personal stories of joy and sorrow, participants constructed a large scale model of NGF molecule
Decisioni Ben Costruite
Rome, 2022
Working closely with Dr. Ivan Arisi, we created a ‘Random Forest’ composed of participants personalised ‘Decision Trees’. Families and groups worked together to create a set of questions and answer investigating their own decision making processes.
This was an exploration of how AI works and its potential in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other brain conditions.