The artwork Autofagi is a collaborative art installation created by students from Jönköping University and the Royal College of Music and is inspired by the biological process of autophagy which is when cells consume themselves.

Autophagy means “self-devouring” and is a process when cells actively break down and recycle components of themselves for new purposes. This is important not just for our understanding of biology, but for our bodies in general. Autophagy is also one of the most studied topics within cancer treatment research. For the research on autophagy in yeast, Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for “his discoveries of the mechanisms for autophagy”.

The students have created an audiovisual installation inspired by the process of autophagy. Using generative micro sounds and textures, the installation invites the audience to a careful listen of the processes that normally remain unheard and unseen.

In the current exhibition Fungi – In Art and Science at the Nobel Prize Museum, you can learn more about autophagy, yeast cells and fungi.