Inspired by bioartist Anna Dumitriu’s wonderful exhibit “Zenexton” that draws together a promising cutting edge vaccine against Yersinia pestis (the cause of the disease known as the plague or black death), developed by Professor Christine Rollier (University of Surrey) and colleagues at the University of Oxford, and ancient historic amulets that failed miserably to protect against plague in the 1500s. I had the joy of reading this poem to an audience at Anna’s solo show “BioArt Revolution“, as part of the Romanian Science Festival.
Myself (left) and Anna Dumitriu (right) with her wonderful art work Zenexton at her exhibition “BioArt Revolution” in September 2023.
Zenexton
by Anne Bishop
Vain hopes held in amulets of the past reach out to us,
Embodied within a modern manifestation of what was, for so long, insurmountable,
This twenty-first century Zenexton encases true plague prevention,
Rendered achievable by science and industry,
A tangible physical expression
of the dawning of a dreamed-for future.
Heed the echoes of suffering for which there was no cure,
Hold in your mind’s eye
fellow world citizens who did not survive COVID-19,
Envisage pandemics that are with us now, and plagues of the future,
Then turn your face to the light of vaccine hopes,
extended to us by scientists whose names you may not know,
But, whose labours have saved, and will go on to save, so many.
We thank them!
Dr Anne Bishop 