Ann Veronica Janssens Untitled (27), 2024

Ann Veronica Janssens' work belongs to a body of work, first presented at the artist's 2022 solo exhibition at the Collection Lambert in Avignon. Each work in the series consists of a glass pane submerged in a dopamine-melanin liquid bath for a specific period of time, producing a uniquely patterned nanofilm on the panel’s surface.

The development of nanofilms stems from a research project, titled Structural Color, led by Janssens and Dr. Maria Boto Ordonez at KASK/School of Arts of University College Ghent, Laboratorium, a specialized department for the experimentation between art, design, and biotechnology. The research presents a highly innovative and creative approach to color that comes from the assertion that color as such occurs in nature in two ways: via pigment coloration or via structures interacting with light.

Structural coloration is produced by surfaces on which microscopically structured layers interfere with visible light. The resulting color palette is broader than the palette of pigment color. Examples of structural coloration are iridescence and rapid color change in the skin of certain animals used for camouflage.

Janssens development of a nanofilm for this series is based on the idea of recreating and stabilizing the effect of (nano-) structural coloration found in nature. The specific compounds of dopamine-melanin, used in the production of this work, are responsible for iridescence in butterfly wings, beetle carapaces, and peacock feathers.

The Structural Color research project aims to invent biodegradable and non-toxic ways of coloring, but also to question the common understanding of color from sensorial, scientific, artistic and philosophical point of views. As such, the project has gathered a group of scientists from physics, chemistry, biology, humanities, and arts.