Installation artwork and social science intersect in an exhibition hosted by the French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP) that reveals a gamut of engrossing particulars about snake venom, and the transitioning from the poison-filled fang to a vial of antidote.
Sealed clay pots lit up from the within as an example info tiles give guests a behind the scenes glimpse into how the venom extracted by an Irula tribe snake-catcher, dried and purified in labs, injected in micro doses into horses, and the antibodies thus fashioned are harvested as blood plasma, processed and mass manufactured as life-saving poly venom vials.
The present (February 1-11), “Slithering Cures-Snakes and Antivenoms in South India” ,has been organised by Mathieu Quet, sociologist and affiliate researcher at IFP in affiliation with French unbiased artist Camille Neff and Maida Chavak, scenographer.
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, which additionally operates the Irular Snake Catchers Industrial Cooperative Society in Mamallapuram.
“We wanted to not only shine a light on the public health dimension of snake bites in India, but also focus on the sociological aspect of the Irulas’ plight and the technical angle involving the complex manufacturing process of anti venom”, stated Mr. Quet.
“As horses play such a crucial role in anti venom production cycle, there is also an animal welfare question relating to their proper care”, Mr. Quet stated.
It is estimated that roughly 50,000 to 60,000 individuals die from deadly snake-bites yearly in India. The “big four”— widespread krait, Indian cobra, Russell’s viper and noticed scaled viper—account for about 90% of the deaths. In 2017, the World Health Organisation added snakebite envenoming to its listing of Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Some elements of anti venom manufacturing have improved, whereas different course of have seen little change from the time French scientist and doctor Albert Calmette created the primary snake antivenom within the late 19th century.
“The focus of research has shifted to countries like India which are saddled with a snake-bite public health problem. One of the key areas of research interest these days is to minimise adverse reaction in patients to antibodies that are hosted in horses”, stated Mr. Quet.
The artists have added a couple of touches to the present to pique the curiosity of kid guests, reminiscent of listening to particular sound results from scanning a QR code.
The occasion, which included a spherical desk on “Snakebite mitigation and anti venom production in India” and discussions on the state of anti-venom sector, from extraction to fabricate, will characteristic a live performance (Punnagavarali raga) by Mahesh Vinayakram on Friday.
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