week 6 blog post: bioart

 This week we discussed bioart which is a complex artform that combines biology and art, that scholars have many different definitions of. Ultimately it is a contemporary genre of art that incorporates living organisms such as plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi to create art. Bioartists use different methods in their work such as genetic engineering, tissue culture, and biomimicry. Bioart is beneficial to our society and culture because it is innovative, explores new types of creativity, and is a great source of interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing science and art to be expressed at the same time. However, it also raises ethical concerns because of the unavoidable use of life in this medium.

One example of where concerns were raised was with a project by Eduardo Kac where he genetically modified a bunny to be bioluminescent and “glow” titled Alba. This project was created to raise ethical questions about what it means to genetically modify life in regard to more commonplace genetic modifications to make flowers grow larger or for sheep to produce more wool.

Another example of bioart is with “Stelarc’s Extra Ear” in which Australian performance artist, Stelarc, surgically attached an ear-shaped prosthetic to his arm. This really pushed the boundaries of what is human and the relationship between body and identity. 

The whole idea of bioart is extremely interesting because it pushes boundaries that are so new and at the forefront of multiple different disciplines. It is hard to say whether bioart is pushing the boundary or crossing the line, but in either case, it bridges the gap between art and science.

Citations

Author links open overlay panelAli K. Yetisen 1 6, et al. “Bioart.” Trends in Biotechnology, 23 Nov. 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016777991500205X.

Behold, Alba, www.ekac.org/fdeb.html. Accessed 12 May 2023.

Fernández, Clara Rodríguez. “Stelarc -- Making Art out of the Human Body.” Labiotech.Eu, 23 Feb. 2023, www.labiotech.eu/trends-news/stelarc-ear-art-human-body/.

Gordon, Jason. “What Is Bio Art?” ARTDEX, 14 July 2020, www.artdex.com/what-is-bio-art/. 

Myers, William. Bio Art: Altered Realities. Thames & Hudson, 2015. Marris, Claire and Jane Calvert. "The Ethics of Bio Art." Leonardo, vol. 42, no. 3, 2009, pp. 234-240. Debatty, Régine. "BioArt: Contemporary Art and the Life Sciences." We Make Money Not Art, 20 Sept. 2018, https://we-make-money-not-art.com/bioart-contemporary-art-and-the-life-sciences/.

Image citations

Author links open overlay panelAli K. Yetisen 1 6, et al. “Bioart.” Trends in Biotechnology, 23 Nov. 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016777991500205X.

Fernández, Clara Rodríguez. “Stelarc -- Making Art out of the Human Body.” Labiotech.Eu, 23 Feb. 2023, www.labiotech.eu/trends-news/stelarc-ear-art-human-body/.

Gordon, Jason. “What Is Bio Art?” ARTDEX, 14 July 2020, www.artdex.com/what-is-bio-art/.