German museum shows a live replica of van Gogh's ear

BERLIN -- A German museum has put on display a copy of Vincent van Gogh's ear grown using genetic material provided by one of the 19th-century Dutch artist's living relatives.

The Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe said artist Diemut Strebe made the replica using living cells from Lieuwe van Gogh, great-great-grandson of Vincent's brother Theo.

Using a 3D printer, the cells were shaped to resemble the ear Vincent van Gogh is said to have cut off during a psychotic episode in 1888.

"I use science basically like a type of brush, like Vincent used paint," Strebe said Tuesday.

The U.S.-based artist said the ear, grown at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, is being kept alive inside a case containing a nourishing liquid and could theoretically last for years.

Convincing Lieuwe van Gogh to take part was easy. "He loved the project right away," Strebe said.

Lieuwe and Vincent van Gogh share about one-16th of the same genes.

But hopes of using genetic material that belonged to the post-Impressionist master himself were dashed when DNA extracted from an envelope turned out to belong to someone else. "The postman messed it up," Strebe joked.

Still, work is underway with a female relative to include mitochondrial DNA -- passed down the mother's line -- in future installations.

Strebe said she plans to display the ear in New York next year.

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Museum website: http://on1.zkm.de/zkm/stories/storyReader$8887