Viral Confections

Caitlin Berrigan

2006-07
11 x 9 x 6"
Handmade chocolates from a rapid prototype in glass jar & packaging

These chocolates illustrate the protein structure of the hepatitis C virus. A model of the virus was printed from a magnified 3D cryoelectron micrograph of the virus from the Protein Data Bank. The chocolates were then cast into this molecular form. The truffles do not carry hepatitis C. Each one was lovingly handmade from 72% Belgian roasted cocoa. Desire to eat the enticing chocolates is mixed with a repulsion for the infectious virus. It serves as a synecdoche for the body, coming out of the blood and going back in through the stomach, while also serving as an agent of information rather than infection. This unnerving dialectic has proved to be an exciting and approachable way to ignite discussion and facilitate awareness in public environments.

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