DESMA 9 Week 6 | Biotech + Art

When thinking of BioTech and Art, the first ideas that popped into my head were extensions of what we covered in the Medicine, Tech, and Art topics. For instance, I immediately thought of ways that human modifications involving machines, such as robotic arms, could be approached from an artistic angle. However, it was interesting to see the wide variety of topics that we covered in this week’s content.

What stood out to me the most was the work done by Joe Davis, which Professor Vesna covered in lecture. This was especially because of the way in which Davis mixed art with something as low level as genetics and bacterial organisms. The fact that someone could come up with the idea to work on such a project is fascinating, and makes one wonder how much more we can learn about our world by altering the perspectives that we approach problems with. Apart from this, Davis’ “Bacterial Radio” project was also fascinating to learn about, as it uses genetically modified microbes and an electrical circuit to convey sound. 

Joe Davis' "Bacterial Radio"

Marta de Menezes’ work with the butterflies as explored in the lecture was also pretty interesting to learn about, especially given the way that it was received by the masses. Given the way that such art interacts with life and living things, it is understandable that some of these pieces would be received with shock and criticism, which we also see with some of the reactions to Alba, the genetically modified rabbit. It is pretty common for artists in any sector of art to play along the borders of what is considered acceptable and not, and it was interesting to see that this extends to biotech fields, since it would be easy to assume that it is only scientists that experiment with animals and genetic modifications that may not be considered acceptable by society. Thus, it makes sense that bioart comes with the question of ethics pretty central to it, and in “Art in America”, Emily Watlington states that for some people, it is this “unresolvable tension” that makes BioArt compelling.

Eduardo Kac's "Alba"

In the text “Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classification”, it was interesting to read about what Ken Rinaldo said about autopoiesis, and how the system was able to improve upon itself based on the reception and engagement it receives. Especially since I have studied machine learning models, which are able to train themselves, and improve their performance, it was pretty interesting to read about a physical entity that performs in a similar manner to such algorithms.

Ken Rinaldo's "Autopoiesis"


Sources:

  1. Vesna, Victoria. “BioArt Part 1”. UCLA DESMA 9 Art Science and Technology Spring 2022, Week 6.

  2. Vesna, Victoria. “BioArt Part 2”. UCLA DESMA 9 Art Science and Technology Spring 2022, Week 6.

  3. Dayal, Geeta. “Preview: See Bacterial Radio and Ars Electronica's Other Intriguing Projects.” Wired, Conde Nast, 24 Aug. 2012, www.wired.com/2012/08/ars-electronica-2012-preview/.  

  4. Watlington, Emily. “Bio Art: Interspecies Collaborations + Sculpting with Mushrooms + Art for Octopi.” ARTnews.com, ARTnews.com, 1 Apr. 2022, www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/bio-art-march-2022-issue-1234620503/. 

  5. Levy, Ellen K. “Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classification”. Context Providers: Conditions of Meaning in Media Arts, (Bristol: Intellect Ltd.), Lovejoy, M., Paul C., and Vesna, V. (Eds.), 275-89.

  6. Dayal, Geeta. “Preview: See Bacterial Radio and Ars Electronica's Other Intriguing Projects.” Wired, Conde Nast, 24 Aug. 2012, www.wired.com/2012/08/ars-electronica-2012-preview/. (Source for image of Bacterial Radio)

  7. Kerstetter, Mark. “What Is Contemporary Art?” Escape Into Life, www.escapeintolife.com/essays/what-is-contemporary-art-mark-kerstetter/. (Source for image of Alba)

  8. “Autopoiesis.” Ken Rinaldo, www.kenrinaldo.com/portfolio/autopoiesis/. (Source for image of autopoiesis)

Comments

  1. Kabir RaoMay 7, 2022 at 5:18 PM

    I found it really interesting that you shone light on the different assumptions about scientists versus artists. I realized that experimentation is a process that takes place in every field, and in the bioart sphere particularly, this could offend some people. The line to stop at is very hard to define, as it is subjective in its nature. Would love to get your thoughts!

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