Week 6: BioTech + Art

Image credits: (Seymour, PhD)

The question "Is life itself a valid expressive medium?" is an interesting one. Life as we experience it can be viewed as an expression of a genomic sequence. Through techniques of transgenics, mutilation, mutation, recombinance or selective breeding, the artist can change this sequence and thus change the expression.

Image Credit (Menezes)

 If the purpose of art is to express and elicit emotions, ideas, and symbolism, then I would argue BioTech Art and Life itself would be a valid expressive medium. The work of Dr. Marta Menezes is a great example of BioTechnological art that is capable of evoking emotion through cell manipulation. Her exhibit entitled Immortality for Two was particularly thought provoking for me as I have recently learned a close family member of mine has been diagnosed with terminal lung and brain cancer. Dr. Menezes poses a question about the costs of living forever; are a person’s cells representative of their humanity and, if so, to what degree?

Image Credit (Ben-Ary)

In a different project by Guy Ben-Ary and Kirsten Hudson entitled In Potēntia, the artists utilize stem cell reprogramming to create neurons contained in an inanimate housing. For me, this project raises questions about whether the flesh and blood of a person is part of the definition of what it means to be alive, or whether the contained electrical impulses of within a neural network could define a person’s being. 

 

Image Credits

Ben-Ary, Guy. “In Potentia | Guy Ben-Ary.” Guy Ben-Ary, 2014, guybenary.com/work/in-potentia.

Menezes, Dr. Marta. “Immortality For Two | Marta de Menezes.” Marta de Menezes, 2012, martademenezes.com/portfolio/immortality-for-two.

Seymour, PhD, Albert. “A Dual Gene Therapy and Gene Editing Platform.” GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, 11 May 2020, www.genengnews.com/commentary/a-dual-gene-therapy-and-gene-editing-platform.

 Resources

“ATLAS in Silico | Art + Science and Virtual Reality.” ATLAS in Silico, www.atlasinsilico.net. Accessed 8 May 2021.

“EMutagen: Germline Aesthetics.” Emutagen, emutagen.com/germline.html. Accessed 8 May 2021.

“Semipermeable (+) : SymbioticA : The University of Western Australia.” Symbiotica UWA, www.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au/activities/exhibitions/semipermeable-. Accessed 8 May 2021.

SymbioticA. “About the Project.” Vampire Study Group, 2010, vampirestudygroup.com/bloodwars/about/index.html.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 Bioart Pt1.” YouTube, uploaded by UC Online, 26 Mar. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvp924_pbgc.