In Vivo by Sarah Barnett

Gallery 110 presents an exhibition by Sarah Barnett entitled In Vivo—a biological term used to describe processes or experiments conducted within a living organism. Showcasing recent oil paintings by Barnett, this exhibition reflects on the implications of developing biotechnologies through a surreal and emotionally charged lens. The works explore themes of life preservation, mortality, augmentation, and the uncanny blurring of the natural and artificial.

Through intimate close-ups, viewers encounter highly rendered yet ambiguous forms, including plastic-wrapped humans and animals, gloved hands at work and looming from out of frame, fabricated medical devices, machines that mimic bodily organs, and disorienting perspectives of the body both inside and out.

Vivid in detail, richly colored, heavily layered, and distorted, the works emerge from the artist’s conflicting feelings about the body and an uncertain future. The exhibition aims to ask questions, stir thoughts, unsettle slightly, and resonate emotionally with the viewer.