20 May – 13 Nov 2016
'Deep in the Heart of Your Brain' is an exhibition of sculpture and drawings made in the last five years alongside new works developed out of a period of research with a group of women affected by myotonic dystrophy and made in collaboration with the UK Patient Registry at The John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre in Newcastle. The women involved are all sister pairs, where one sibling has inherited the myotonic dystrophy gene and one has not, mirroring the artists own position within her family where many relatives are affected by the condition.
This rich archive of personal reflection on age, appearance and disability offers a powerful platform for new work. Through connecting the thoughts of the women on their position within science and the treatment that affects them with established sculptural language that uses industrial materials, drawing and film, Donachie seeks to parallel the relationships and hierarchy of families with that of science, within the context of contemporary art. The exhibition also references items of armour from Glasgow Museums collection, and works from an earlier sculptural and performance tradition such as that of Bruce McLean.
The exhibition was commissioned by GoMA and supported by a Wellcome Trust Arts Award.