DNA Strands Strewn Across Town

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 104 months ago
DNA Strands Strewn Across Town
The handiwork of conceptual artist Jane Morgan
The handiwork of conceptual artist Jane Morgan
Designed by brothers Chris & Xand van Tulleken, who fronted CBBC series Operation Ouch
Designed by brothers Chris & Xand van Tulleken, who fronted CBBC series Operation Ouch
By fashion designer Ted Baker
By fashion designer Ted Baker
A close-up of the Ted Baker design
A close-up of the Ted Baker design
Ai Weiwei's take on the double helix
Ai Weiwei's take on the double helix
DNA as designed by homeware and fashion designer Orla Kiely
DNA as designed by homeware and fashion designer Orla Kiely
By artist and designer Ben Shine.
By artist and designer Ben Shine.
By Thierry Noir, whose iconic painting style graced the Berlin Wall in the 1980s
By Thierry Noir, whose iconic painting style graced the Berlin Wall in the 1980s
Designed by award-winning architect Zaha Hadid
Designed by award-winning architect Zaha Hadid
Sculptor Guy Portelli's take
Sculptor Guy Portelli's take

Seen stray DNA strands strewn across town recently? They're part of an art trail put together by Cancer Research UK, to raise awareness and funds for the Francis Crick Institute — a world-leading centre of biomedical research and innovation due to open in King's Cross next year.

Designers, artists, architects and sculptors — including Jane Morgan and Orla Kiely — have all made their mark on the double helix sculptures, which can be seen everywhere from King's Cross to Chelsea. Some — like Zaha Hadid and Ben Shine — have created their own DNA strands.

For trivia fans, each sculpture has a fun fact about DNA written on the base. For example, did you know that you share about 90% of your DNA with a mouse, and about 50% with a banana?

The 21 sculptures are on display for 10 weeks, before being auctioned at Christie's in September. Money raised goes towards construction of the Francis Crick Institute, named after the British scientist who co-discovered the DNA double helix in 1953.

To find out more about the sculptures and the designers behind them, and the all-important map of their locations, visit the Cancer Research UK website.

Last Updated 02 July 2015