Image: Aspergillus #11 - Triumph Tulip 'Sweet Denbola'
Image: Aspergillus #11 - Triumph Tulip 'Sweet Denbola'

Too close to notice

Currently on display at the Palmengarten Frankfurt „Verspielt? Roulette mit der Insekten- und Pflanzenwelt“ curated by Dr. Nadja Tomoum

July 18, 2024 - October 6, 2024

Image: Aspergillus #01 - Darwin Tulip 'Golden Age'
Image: Aspergillus #01 - Darwin Tulip 'Golden Age'

"The question of what price we are willing to pay for lush, colorful, and long-lasting floral splendor is raised with these at once beautiful and terrifying works by Jeleff and Pichler. In their series ‚Too close to notice‘, they prominently feature the environmental mold Aspergillus Fumigatus, which travels around the world on tulip bulbs. In 2009, it was identified as the cause of ominous diseases. After years of high-level use of fungicides in the tulip industry, the fungus has developed a resistance to certain antimycotics that are also used in human medicine, consequently common medications no longer work for affected patients."*

Three pictures are currently exhibited at “Flowers Forever” at Kunsthalle München (https://www.kunsthalle-muc.de)

*Text taken from the exhibition Flowers Forever

Image: Aspergillus #02- Parrot Tulip 'Blue Parrot'
Image: Aspergillus #02- Parrot Tulip 'Blue Parrot'
Image: Aspergillus #08 - Lily-Flowered Tulip 'Captain Fryatt'
Image: Aspergillus #08 - Lily-Flowered Tulip 'Captain Fryatt'

In 2009, doctors at a Dutch hospital were faced with a difficult situation: some patients contracted invasive aspergillosis. The antifungal drugs administered had no effect and several patients died. It was feared that the trigger was a resistant strain of a mold called Aspergillus fumigatus. But where did this resistance come from?

Tissue samples from aspergillosis cases archived at this hospital in previous years were analyzed. Since the new samples did not match them, it turned out that the resistance probably had an environmental source. Eventually, the resistant strain of the fungus was found in a surprising location: a flower bed in the hospital garden where tulips had been planted.

Image: Aspergillus #10 - Double Late Tulip 'Uncle Tom'
Image: Aspergillus #10 - Double Late Tulip 'Uncle Tom'

The resistant Aspergillus fumigatus turned out to come directly from the tulip bulbs – bulbs mass-produced (around 2 billion a year) by the Dutch tulip industry, which are dipped in an antifungal, azole-containing solution to stop the growth of fungi on plants. Excessive use of azoles in the production of tulip bulbs (the same antifungal agent used in patients) resulted in a resistant strain of Aspergillus fumigatus, which entered patients' lungs via the spores of the tulips from the hospital garden.

In October 2022, the WHO published a list of 18 fungal pathogens, which also includes Aspergillus fumigatus. This list is the first global attempt to systematically prioritize fungal pathogens based on their perceived public health importance.

Image: Aspergillus #20 - Parrot Tulip 'Texas Gold'
Image: Aspergillus #20 - Parrot Tulip 'Texas Gold'

The photo project 'Too close to notice' addresses the increasing problem of antifungal resistances, and in general antimicrobial resistance. The processes of resistance development result largely from the overuse of resources - such as, in this case, the overuse of azole against plant pathogens. Human health is closely linked to the health of animals and the environment, and the way how we condition nature. This project ultimately aims to draw attention to the complex relationship between human health and the health of plants, animals, and the ecosystem.

Image: Aspergillus #04- Darwin Hybrid Tulip 'Oxford'
Image: Aspergillus #04- Darwin Hybrid Tulip 'Oxford'

For the photos, a large number of different tulip bulbs were ordered from Dutch flower mail order companies. A smear was taken from each onion by our project partner – Dr. Martin Kirchmair - at the University of Innsbruck. The spores obtained from the smear were further cultivated under laboratory conditions on transparent agar culture media in Petri dishes with a diameter of 20 cm. After around 7 to 10 days of growth, the petri dish containing the pure culture of the Aspergilli from a tulip bulb was then placed on a picture from a tulip catalog showing the flowering plant of that bulb variety. The resulting photos illustrate both the blooming tulip and the 'stowaways' called Aspergillus fumigatus that were brought along on its bulb.

A project in collaboration with Klaus Pichler (photographer) and Dr. Martin Kirchmair (microbiologist, University Innsbruck)

Image: Aspergillus #06 - Triumph Tulip 'Edith Eddy'
Image: Aspergillus #06 - Triumph Tulip 'Edith Eddy'
Image: Aspergillus #07 - Triumph Tulip 'Jackpot'
Image: Aspergillus #07 - Triumph Tulip 'Jackpot'
Image: Aspergillus #12 - Parrot Tulip 'Orange Favourite'
Image: Aspergillus #12 - Parrot Tulip 'Orange Favourite'
Image: Aspergillus #13 - Darwin Tulip 'Rose Copland'
Image: Aspergillus #13 - Darwin Tulip 'Rose Copland'
Image: Aspergillus #03 - Parrot Tulip 'Fantasy'
Image: Aspergillus #03 - Parrot Tulip 'Fantasy'
Image: Aspergillus #05 - Cottage Tulip 'Advance'
Image: Aspergillus #05 - Cottage Tulip 'Advance'
Image: Aspergillus #14 - Darwin Tulip 'Sweet Harmony'
Image: Aspergillus #14 - Darwin Tulip 'Sweet Harmony'
Image: Aspergillus #09 - Cottage Tulip 'Princess Margaret Rose'
Image: Aspergillus #09 - Cottage Tulip 'Princess Margaret Rose'
Image: Aspergillus #15- Parrot Tulip 'Orange Parrot'
Image: Aspergillus #15- Parrot Tulip 'Orange Parrot'
Image: Aspergillus #16 - Breeder Tulip 'Dillenburg'
Image: Aspergillus #16 - Breeder Tulip 'Dillenburg'
Image: Aspergillus #17 - Cottage Tulip 'Artist'
Image: Aspergillus #17 - Cottage Tulip 'Artist'
Image: Aspergillus #18 - Double Late Tulip 'Eros'
Image: Aspergillus #18 - Double Late Tulip 'Eros'
Image: Aspergillus #19 - Darwin Tulip 'Spring Song'
Image: Aspergillus #19 - Darwin Tulip 'Spring Song'
Image: Aspergillus #21 - Triumph Tulip 'Princess Beatrix'
Image: Aspergillus #21 - Triumph Tulip 'Princess Beatrix'
Image: Aspergillus #22 - Triumph Tulip 'Pink Beetle'
Image: Aspergillus #22 - Triumph Tulip 'Pink Beetle'
Image: Aspergillus #23 - Darwin Tulip 'Scotch Lassie'
Image: Aspergillus #23 - Darwin Tulip 'Scotch Lassie'
Image: Aspergillus #24 - Darwin Tulip 'Insurpassable'
Image: Aspergillus #24 - Darwin Tulip 'Insurpassable'
Image: Aspergillus #26 - Fosteriana Tulip 'Red Emperor'
Image: Aspergillus #26 - Fosteriana Tulip 'Red Emperor'
Image: Aspergillus #25- Darwin Tulip 'Red Flame'
Image: Aspergillus #25- Darwin Tulip 'Red Flame'
Image: Aspergillus #11 - Triumph Tulip 'Sweet Denbola'
Image: Aspergillus #01 - Darwin Tulip 'Golden Age'
Image: Aspergillus #02- Parrot Tulip 'Blue Parrot'
Image: Aspergillus #08 - Lily-Flowered Tulip 'Captain Fryatt'
Image: Aspergillus #10 - Double Late Tulip 'Uncle Tom'
Image: Aspergillus #20 - Parrot Tulip 'Texas Gold'
Image: Aspergillus #04- Darwin Hybrid Tulip 'Oxford'
Image: Aspergillus #06 - Triumph Tulip 'Edith Eddy'
Image: Aspergillus #07 - Triumph Tulip 'Jackpot'
Image: Aspergillus #12 - Parrot Tulip 'Orange Favourite'
Image: Aspergillus #13 - Darwin Tulip 'Rose Copland'
Image: Aspergillus #03 - Parrot Tulip 'Fantasy'
Image: Aspergillus #05 - Cottage Tulip 'Advance'
Image: Aspergillus #14 - Darwin Tulip 'Sweet Harmony'
Image: Aspergillus #09 - Cottage Tulip 'Princess Margaret Rose'
Image: Aspergillus #15- Parrot Tulip 'Orange Parrot'
Image: Aspergillus #16 - Breeder Tulip 'Dillenburg'
Image: Aspergillus #17 - Cottage Tulip 'Artist'
Image: Aspergillus #18 - Double Late Tulip 'Eros'
Image: Aspergillus #19 - Darwin Tulip 'Spring Song'
Image: Aspergillus #21 - Triumph Tulip 'Princess Beatrix'
Image: Aspergillus #22 - Triumph Tulip 'Pink Beetle'
Image: Aspergillus #23 - Darwin Tulip 'Scotch Lassie'
Image: Aspergillus #24 - Darwin Tulip 'Insurpassable'
Image: Aspergillus #26 - Fosteriana Tulip 'Red Emperor'
Image: Aspergillus #25- Darwin Tulip 'Red Flame'
Image: Aspergillus #11 - Triumph Tulip 'Sweet Denbola'

Too close to notice

Currently on display at the Palmengarten Frankfurt „Verspielt? Roulette mit der Insekten- und Pflanzenwelt“ curated by Dr. Nadja Tomoum

July 18, 2024 - October 6, 2024

Image: Aspergillus #01 - Darwin Tulip 'Golden Age'

"The question of what price we are willing to pay for lush, colorful, and long-lasting floral splendor is raised with these at once beautiful and terrifying works by Jeleff and Pichler. In their series ‚Too close to notice‘, they prominently feature the environmental mold Aspergillus Fumigatus, which travels around the world on tulip bulbs. In 2009, it was identified as the cause of ominous diseases. After years of high-level use of fungicides in the tulip industry, the fungus has developed a resistance to certain antimycotics that are also used in human medicine, consequently common medications no longer work for affected patients."*

Three pictures are currently exhibited at “Flowers Forever” at Kunsthalle München (https://www.kunsthalle-muc.de)

*Text taken from the exhibition Flowers Forever

Image: Aspergillus #02- Parrot Tulip 'Blue Parrot'
Image: Aspergillus #08 - Lily-Flowered Tulip 'Captain Fryatt'

In 2009, doctors at a Dutch hospital were faced with a difficult situation: some patients contracted invasive aspergillosis. The antifungal drugs administered had no effect and several patients died. It was feared that the trigger was a resistant strain of a mold called Aspergillus fumigatus. But where did this resistance come from?

Tissue samples from aspergillosis cases archived at this hospital in previous years were analyzed. Since the new samples did not match them, it turned out that the resistance probably had an environmental source. Eventually, the resistant strain of the fungus was found in a surprising location: a flower bed in the hospital garden where tulips had been planted.

Image: Aspergillus #10 - Double Late Tulip 'Uncle Tom'

The resistant Aspergillus fumigatus turned out to come directly from the tulip bulbs – bulbs mass-produced (around 2 billion a year) by the Dutch tulip industry, which are dipped in an antifungal, azole-containing solution to stop the growth of fungi on plants. Excessive use of azoles in the production of tulip bulbs (the same antifungal agent used in patients) resulted in a resistant strain of Aspergillus fumigatus, which entered patients' lungs via the spores of the tulips from the hospital garden.

In October 2022, the WHO published a list of 18 fungal pathogens, which also includes Aspergillus fumigatus. This list is the first global attempt to systematically prioritize fungal pathogens based on their perceived public health importance.

Image: Aspergillus #20 - Parrot Tulip 'Texas Gold'

The photo project 'Too close to notice' addresses the increasing problem of antifungal resistances, and in general antimicrobial resistance. The processes of resistance development result largely from the overuse of resources - such as, in this case, the overuse of azole against plant pathogens. Human health is closely linked to the health of animals and the environment, and the way how we condition nature. This project ultimately aims to draw attention to the complex relationship between human health and the health of plants, animals, and the ecosystem.

Image: Aspergillus #04- Darwin Hybrid Tulip 'Oxford'

For the photos, a large number of different tulip bulbs were ordered from Dutch flower mail order companies. A smear was taken from each onion by our project partner – Dr. Martin Kirchmair - at the University of Innsbruck. The spores obtained from the smear were further cultivated under laboratory conditions on transparent agar culture media in Petri dishes with a diameter of 20 cm. After around 7 to 10 days of growth, the petri dish containing the pure culture of the Aspergilli from a tulip bulb was then placed on a picture from a tulip catalog showing the flowering plant of that bulb variety. The resulting photos illustrate both the blooming tulip and the 'stowaways' called Aspergillus fumigatus that were brought along on its bulb.

A project in collaboration with Klaus Pichler (photographer) and Dr. Martin Kirchmair (microbiologist, University Innsbruck)

Image: Aspergillus #06 - Triumph Tulip 'Edith Eddy'
Image: Aspergillus #07 - Triumph Tulip 'Jackpot'
Image: Aspergillus #12 - Parrot Tulip 'Orange Favourite'
Image: Aspergillus #13 - Darwin Tulip 'Rose Copland'
Image: Aspergillus #03 - Parrot Tulip 'Fantasy'
Image: Aspergillus #05 - Cottage Tulip 'Advance'
Image: Aspergillus #14 - Darwin Tulip 'Sweet Harmony'
Image: Aspergillus #09 - Cottage Tulip 'Princess Margaret Rose'
Image: Aspergillus #15- Parrot Tulip 'Orange Parrot'
Image: Aspergillus #16 - Breeder Tulip 'Dillenburg'
Image: Aspergillus #17 - Cottage Tulip 'Artist'
Image: Aspergillus #18 - Double Late Tulip 'Eros'
Image: Aspergillus #19 - Darwin Tulip 'Spring Song'
Image: Aspergillus #21 - Triumph Tulip 'Princess Beatrix'
Image: Aspergillus #22 - Triumph Tulip 'Pink Beetle'
Image: Aspergillus #23 - Darwin Tulip 'Scotch Lassie'
Image: Aspergillus #24 - Darwin Tulip 'Insurpassable'
Image: Aspergillus #26 - Fosteriana Tulip 'Red Emperor'
Image: Aspergillus #25- Darwin Tulip 'Red Flame'
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