Bio Tech + Art

Bio Tech and Art is one of the most controversial areas of study. It is the GMOS in our food, experimentation with animals, creating hybrids within species among other things. There is an ongoing debate on how one would define bio art. Some want a more direct experience, for it to be justified to be called bio art, while others feel that collaboration itself is enough to be called Bio Art.

Bio Tech

Joe Davis is considered the pioneer of Bio Art. He believed that genes and genomes could be a new palette for artists. He came up with ideas that scientists considered dangerous and crazy. Davis set out to create an info-gene, his idea was to send a message in a bottle to extraterrestrials. His bottle was made of Ecoli, because it could survive deep space.The microvenus was the message, it is a simple symbol resembling the letter Y. The microvenus represents life and external female genetalia. The female genetilia was his response to all male phalic symbols being thrown into space, woman are the creators and he felt the need to balance this gender inequality. Artists like Joe Davis are posing important and critical questions to what is life and what it means to manipulate life.

MicroVenus

Eduardo Kac and the fluorescent bunny Alba. Alba was created by french scientists using a process called zygote micro injection. Scientists plucked a florescent protein GFP from a species of fluorescent jellyfish called Aquara victoria, then modified the gene to make the glowing properties more powerful. The gene was then inserted into a fertilized rabbit egg cell that eventually grew into Alba. This protein GFP has become one of the most important tools used in contemporary bioscience. With the aid of GFP, researchers have developed ways to watch processes that were previously invisible, such as the development of nerve cells in the brain or how cancer cells spread. Eduardo Kac created a debate on life and art, and the ethical implications of the work he did.

GFP Bunny

Orlan continues to shock with her latest piece with symbiotica, "Harlequin coat". The Harlequin Coat is a composite organic coat, made with an assemblage of skin pieces from different colors made via in vitro in petri dishes in a lab. This biotechnological coat, symbolizes cultural cross breeding, it is an investigation into hybridization. It shows different cultural ideas of beauty in different mediums.

Orlan 

Sources:

"Biotech Bootcamp Mixer - Northeastern Biotech Entrepreneurs." Northeastern Biotech Entrepreneurs. Web. 08 May 2016.

"Microvenus: Joe Davis : Genetics and Culture." Microvenus: Joe Davis : Genetics and Culture. Web. 08 May 2016.

"ORLAN - Vogue.it." ORLAN - Vogue.it. Web. 08 May 2016.

"GFP BUNNY." GFP BUNNY. Web. 08 May 2016.

"The Daily Galaxy: News from Planet Earth & Beyond." 'The Daily Galaxy: News from Planet Earth & Beyond' Web. 08 May 2016.

“SymbioticA.” The University of Western Australia. 08 May 2016. Web. <http://www.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au/>.

Uconlineprogram. "5 Bioart Pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, 2013. Web. 08 May 2016.

"ORLAN - Harlequin Coat." - FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology). Web. 08 May 2016.