Vis-a-thon 2026
System as a body, visualized
Authors
Teresa Sierra PhD Candidate, University Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy ORCiD Linkedin
COLLABORATOR
Ashley Bedet MFA, Rhode Island School of Design, Glass ashleybedet.com Instagram: @ashleybedet
Critic
Emma Hogarth
How do we see what is present in a material or a human body, but is hard to discern, let alone image?
Using glass that is chemically the same but in various forms, as a stand in for proteins in the liver we endeavored to find different ways to inform what was present but not visible. Evoking the unseen complexities of disease and the uncertainty in predictive modeling. Reflecting on the act of looking, each process reveals new insights to the same materials. We are all unique, people need to be treated with the right medication per condition.
INITIAL PROPOSAL NOTECARD
"Using glass in its many forms as an analogue, we explored ways of revealing what is present but not immediately visible. The work evokes the hidden complexities of disease and the uncertainty inherent in predictive modeling, while also reflecting on the act of observation itself, how each method of looking can uncover new insights from the same material."
—Teresa
"The initial proposal focused on translating my research of modelling of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease into a visual form that could represent simulations and predictions. I was not interested in creating a literal piece that simply depicted the physical changes associated with disease progression. Instead, I wanted to explore how these changes could be measured, modeled, and results projected into predictions. Early ideas included nested vessels with one object representing clinical data and the other representing models and simulations, though remained open to different materials and approaches."
—Teresa
"Using glass in its many forms as an analogue, we explored ways of revealing what is present but not immediately visible. The work evokes the hidden complexities of disease and the uncertainty inherent in predictive modeling, while also reflecting on the act of observation itself, how each method of looking can uncover new insights from the same material."
—Teresa
"Ultimately, the project evolved during Vis-a-thon weekend itself. Rather than focusing on representing models directly, we shifted toward using glass as an analogy for biological systems and modes of observation, allowing the work to explore not just outcomes, but the process of seeing and interpreting complex data."
—Teresa
Tools Used in the Project
Glass Projector
Copyright
© System as a body, visualized, 2026
This material is based upon work supported in part by the National Science Foundation under EPSCoR Cooperative Agreement #OIA-1655221.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.