Up to 50 Sutherland Shire knitters of all ages and skill levels descended on Lucas Heights on Friday to create knitted neurons, as part of a national art project about mind and brain health.
 |
| Neural Knitworks is a project that keeps people’s minds sharp and teaches them about science. |
Participants were part of a several month long, Australia-wide effort to knit enough neurons to make the world’s largest fabric brain, and inspire people to get interested in science.
Neural Knitworks is being run by the Southern Sydney Science Hub - a partnership between ANSTO, the Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre and Sutherland Shire Council.
The project is about keeping people’s minds sharp, teaching them about science and having a bit of fun in the meantime.
Participants knit, crochet and weave individual neurons that will be combined into a huge neural network exhibition – a soft, textile brain installation being created by artists Pat Pillai and Rita Pearce.
That big brain will become a travelling art exhibition, which will traverse the nation starting from Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre during National Science Week in August.
 |  |  |  |
Pat Pillai is a local artist and the brain behind the…,well, brain cells. It was her idea to knit and weave a brain installation that won best pitch at an Art and Science soiree last year.
"Whether you’re a whiz with yarn, or just discovering the joy of craft, now you can crochet wrap, knit or knot – and find out about neuroscience," said Ms Pillai.
Each person has several billion neurons – the cells that carry messages between the brain and body, save memories, send electrical signals to muscles and receive signals from senses.
Dr Bridget Murphy works at ANSTO’s Discovery Centre, is PHD qualified in animal genetics physiology – and aside from knowing a bit more than average about a neuron, is also an avid knitter.
“I personally have never done more knitting than when I was studying my PHD - I ended up knitting two whole blankets as procrastination,” said Dr Murphy.
“But this isn’t about using knitting to avoid science – in fact it’s about combining the two and teaching people a bit about science and a bit about knitting.”
Neural Knitworks needs an enormous number of handmade neurons to create its first installation at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery.
Published: 04/07/2014