Book of Genome – PCC / Decode – PCC

»Book of Genome – PCC«
2016, 3 leather bound books of comparative DNA sequence analyses, 8 × 35 × 31 cm each

»DECODE – PCC«
2016, video, color, sound, 60 min.

Research suggests that genetic diversification positively impacts health, vitality, and life expectancy. With the project »Planetary Community Chicken (PCC)«, artist Koen Vanmechelen explores the markers of diversity that make for strong breeds of chickens.

The chicken genome contains more than a billion nucleotides, composed of the four letters of the DNA alphabet. Lined up in a specific order, they make up a sort of code. For each of the chickens studied in the project, the DNA sequence was compared to the scientific standard and genetic diversity was marked when the DNA sequence of the chickens differed.

With each successive generation, the markers of diversity have increased. Through 20 years of crossing, Vanmechelen's project has accumulated the most diverse datapool of the chicken genome. In the »Book of Genome – PCC« shown at »Open Codes«, the DNA information of the Planetary Community Chicken is presented. In the accompanying »DECODE – PCC« video, people representing the different countries that make up the diversity of the PCC project read aloud the series of letters and numbers composing the book.