Homologous Hope

Mara Haseltine’s  sculpture Homologous Hope hangs in the atrium of the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. In itself the structure is a wonder. It is constructed of carbon fiber and LED lights, suspended with stainless steel, weighing a total of 960 pounds (Wang). Haseltine’s piece has an organic form that seems far too fantastical to be mimetic, but Homologous Hope elucidates something very real for physicians, scientists, and patients alike. As stated in the March 2015 edition of Penn Medicine, Haseltine’s sculpture “illustrates how healthy cells repairs DNA that causes breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. It is an accurate depiction of the part of the BRCA2 gene that is responsible for DNA repair. The BRCA2 gene is crucial in the process of DNA repair. The repair occurs in three stages, as illustrated by a light show within portions of the piece ("Penn Medicine's Basser Research Center for BRCA Unveils Homologous Hope Sculpture.").” It is fitting that Homologous Hope should illustrate such a literal process as it was created for the Basser Research Institute for BRCA. Its location in the University’s Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine is absolutely superior and difficult to miss. Visitors, physicians, and patients can all see the large sculpture that is intended to inspire hope for those suffering from breast, ovarian, or prostate cancers although, many of them are probably unaware. Regardless the structure’s pure white twists and spirals, illuminated by both the natural sunlight and the occasional blink of the LED lights, offer the viewers a peaceful object amidst the stress of treatment and hustle ofthe hospital. In a way, the work functions like a glorious office magazine intended to distract the reader from the realities ahead. The work diverges from this bored solution as it confronts the fears that many of the viewers face: Will I recover? Is this curable? More importantly: Is there still hope? Homologous Hope endeavors to answer these questions with a YES simply by providing a comforting presence.