TREASURE ISLAND PROJECT

Treasure Island the city wide Public Arts project where the public's own treasures are discovered and contribute to the process of the production of Public Art. This high profile project by artist Seran Kubisa involves conducting a forensic investigation of minute fragment samples.

The Investigation

1 - Locations

2 - Contributors

3 - Artefacts

4 - Forensics

Forensic size fragments are collected at locations from an incredible variety of artefacts and heritage sites. The investigation archives dates, historic facts, memories, photographic documentation and fragments from the artefacts. The fragments are analysed by Seran using a powerful microscope to create artworks. The investigation has uncovered heritage gems as well as a unseen and often forgotten world, bringing to the surface memories and treasures from the city.

5 - Memories

6 - Artwork

7 - Public Art

8 - Archive

The fragments are scientifically analysed to open a window onto the entire life of the artefact with resonances of the past seeping into the creative and analysing process.

The uniquely insightful images that are produced are manipulated and colour-treated before they are rendered as stunning artworks. These can be reproduced in a number of ways; as prints, designs, light boxes, projections and installations, as well as larger scale artworks and architectural pieces. r

The Treasure

The treasures are artefacts of a historical value some of which are being re-discovered in the city from existing public, hidden and personal collections. Seran's research with science led to the unique realisation that there was a relationship with intriguing visual imagery under the microscope and the presence of flourescence. Artefacts which are over 30 years old contain more natural fluorescence and this is analysed to reveal stunning microscopic structures that form the basis of the resultant artwork.

Treasures

The artefacts found add to the final treasure trove of visual data which include the archive, artworks and public art. Each contribution is assigned an archive number. Photographs and details about the artefact, the participant's special memories, histories, location of the treasure and fragment fibre collected are all recorded.

Over 200 archives have been documented. View archive investigations:

Portsmouth City Museum and Records Office will permanently archive all of the investigation's outputs.

“Treasure Island is a phenomenal example of the power of contemporary art to animate and give form to collective and individual identities, thoughts and memories. The work captures the spirit of the inanimate treasured objects and through the combination of traditional fine art techniques and use of cutting edge technology stunning animated works are created. The artworks capture the essence of the artefacts they are drawn from becoming vibrant spectres, which tell their own tale." Saskia Delman, Arts Manager London Borough of Bexley

The Locations

Portsmouth City Museum Store Private Location 0001- 00011

Drayton Friendship Centre 00012-00023

Charles Dickens Centre Buckland 00023-00027

Portsmouth Civic Offices - City Centre 00028-00036

Portsmouth City Museum Public Open Session 00037-00054

Chinese Community Southsea - Friendship House 00055-00060

Royal Naval Museum - The Dockyard 00061-00070

Portsmouth Cathedral - Old Portsmouth 00071-00087

Age Concern - Fratton 00088-00100

Portsmouth Disability Forum 00101- 00115

Portsmouth Football Club - Fratton Park 00116 - 00124

Cumberland House - Southsea Portsmouth 00125 - 00127

Hms Warrior - Portsmouth 00128 - 00132

Hms Victory - Portsmouth 00133 - 00141

Mary Rose - Southsea Portsmouth 00142 - 00159

Spitbank Fort 00160 - 00164

African Womens Forum 00165 - 00169

Dday Museum 00170 - 00174

Southsea Castle 00175 - 00177

Portsmouth City Museum Final Public Session 00179 - 00187

Hilsea Lido 00189 - 00192

Artwork, Forensic Investigation and Science

• The investigation collects small samples from artefacts in order to analyse them
• Samples can be as small as 1 millimetre, or as large as can be spared without intrusive damage to the artefact. They are collected at the time of discovering and recording the treasured memory
• When viewed live under the laser beam, Seran selects the areas to image based on the composition, colour and visual quality of the resulting fluorescence
• Selecting which parts of a sample's fluorescence "rainbow" to record (from the ultraviolet, through the visible colours and out into the infra-red) is crucial for artistic interpretation of the raw digital data collected. Seran also looks out for fluorescent patterns that result from innate properties of the material itself and the wear and tear and accumulation of additional substances resulting from its history. This can open a window onto the entire life of the artefact.

The Confocal Scanning Laser Microscope

The samples collected from the artefacts are taken to the Biomedical Imaging Unit at Southampton General Hospital where they are examined, analysed and recorded using a Leica SP2 or SP5 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope. This special (and very expensive) form of microscope uses a clever optical trick to image and sharply focus or "slices" through a sample. A series of laser beams scan across the specimen and make it fluoresce. This fluorescence is captured by a series of very sensitive, high resolution digital cameras which can be tuned to record different parts of the sample's fluorescence "rainbow" (from the ultraviolet, through the visible colours and out into the infra-red). Between the sample and the cameras is a light-proof shutter with a very tiny pinhole in it. The shutter vibrates in tune with the movement of the laser beam across the sample, allowing only fluorescence from a particular point in the sample to pass through the pinhole to the cameras. Fluorescence from other (out of focus) levels in the specimen misses the pinhole and so never reaches the cameras. This produces a very sharp image. By moving the sample up and down under the laser beam, sharp images can be recorded from many different levels. These can then be combined and analysed to create a 3D view of the sample.

Many materials fluoresce when illuminated by a laser beam and this is more intense in older samples.

Look out for microscopist Dave Johnston's scientific interpretation of some of the samples to be added to the archives.

View the forensic analysis

Artist Seran Kubisa

Seran's scientific research with the University of Southampton (Leverhulme Trust Award winner 2001-2002) led to the unique realisation that there was a relationship to intriguing visual imagery under the microscope and the presence of flourescence. The older the materials, the more natural fluorescence is in the sample. Since this discovery Seran has been collecting older samples for their scientific properties and social memories. From this unique process, she has generated a collection of incredibly stunning visual images and poignant memories.

Treasure Island is the 3rd series of Forensic Investigations.

Series 1: 'My Sitting Room' - 2002

Series 2: 'Our School' - 2004

Seran Kubisa has been working closely with Science since the 90's, and has collaborated extensively with scientists in her work, on projects and pioneered the first science/art workshops in 2001.

As a colourist, the manipulation of colour plays an important role in all of Seran's disciplines: painting, installations, light sculptures and the innovative use of Scientific Technology.

Visit Seran's website

Artist Team

Seran's team accompany her on each data collection and forensic sample collection session

• Assistant - Sally Taylor
• Photographer - Paul Everitt
• Historians from Portsmouth City Museum: Rosalinda Hardiman, Jon Stedman, Katy Ball and Portsmouth Grammar School: Catherine Smith
• Website Development & Collaboration - Marcus Coles

Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council Arts Service is working in partnership with Seran Kubisa to deliver and support the Public art outcomes and community sampling sessions for Treasure Island.

• Gerry Wall - Public Arts Officer
• Faye Bradley - Arts Development Officer
• Claire Looney - Arts and Cultural Development Manager

Treasure Island Steering Group:

• Brigette Crafer - Landscape Designer - Portsmouth City Council
• Katayoun Dowlatshahi - Artist
• Steve Fisher - Cibas Portsmouth
• Barry Walker - Portsmouth City Centre Manager
• Gerry Wall - Public Arts Officer - Portsmouth City Council