A series of knots

Artists - Anna Mackenzie, Andy MacDonald, Ella Rae Heyns, Liezl Engelbrecht 
Supervisor - Professor Fritha Langerman
IDM collaborator - Dr John Woodland 

Artists' Statement:

This idea resonates with Donna Haraway's notion of the material-semiotic knot, which highlights how meaning, bodies, and systems are always interconnected. In her words, "There are no beginnings and endings; there are only middles." Each knot, she reminds us, is made of "relays, connections, and interlacing that cannot be untangled without changing the whole."

The constellation we designed draws on this metaphor. Just as molecular systems rely on their interdependencies, the IDM depends on collaboration between scientists, administrators, cleaners, clinicians, and even the microorganisms studied in the labs. Each contributes to the ecosystem of knowledge.

Haraway also writes that figures are not representations but material-semiotic nodes, points where bodies and meanings co-shape one another. Our installation, then, can be read as a living knot: an artwork where bodies, processes, and relationships intersect.

In her essay ‘Staying with the Trouble’, Haraway describes "string figuring" as a way of thinking, following threads, tracing tangles, making and unmaking. Our piece is similarly ongoing, open, and responsive to those who encounter it. The installation brings together a range of materials (transparent PVC tubing, ropes, elastic cords, satin cords) that all share a quality of stringiness. Transparent PVC tubing, common in medical and research settings, evokes the passage of fluids and unseen systems that sustain life. It's a familiar visual language for those who work in the IDM, referencing, circulation, care, and exchange.

By weaving and knotting these materials into a sculptural web, we aimed to make visible the hidden flows of knowledge and energy that circulate through the building. The elastic and nylon cords act as flexible connectors, embodying tension, resilience, and the balance between structure and movement.

For more information on the project, read here.