Week 6: BioTech+Art

 

In this week’s module we learn about the intersections of Biotech and art, personally I found this topic to be the most interesting thus far, due to how controversial these subjects can be. Just as professor Vesna explains there are many ways artists create their works through this biotech lens, whether from working in the lab on a genetic level or simply capturing these moments through a camera. Defining Life By author Ellen Kerry, does a great job of exposing the reader to fresh and unique conflicts or situations that may arise from the combinations of biotech and art. A good example of this is when Kerry brings up the topic of intellectual property, stating that “increasing numbers of artists are producing new life-forms and cyborgs, what rights should accrue to these artist-inventors?” (Kerry). I found this to be extremely fascinating because moving forward, how do we as a society distinguish ownership with this evolving art form. 

Artists like Eduardo Kac and Mel Chin have pushed boundaries and created works that are popular worldwide. Kac is most known for the creation of a rabbit that glows in the dark. The rabbit's name is Alba, and it's the first new mammal in art history. Most known for their diverse art styles, Mel Chin developed many  projects, most captivating to me was his Revival Field (1990), where he used plants to clean up soil contaminated with harmful metals. This project was one of the first of its kind in the "green remediation" field.

Lastly, another artist who stuck out to me the most was Marta de Menezes. In an art piece, Evolution on a plate Menezes uses E coli on multiple plates one with no antibiotics while the others have added antibiotics to show how adaptations occur in new conditions.  

Work cited 

“5 Bioart Pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013, youtu.be/PaThVnA1kyg.

GFP Bunny, www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor. Accessed 12 May 2023.

Marta de Menezes, martademenezes.com/. Accessed 12 May 2023.

Painting – Mel Chin, melchin.org/oeuvre/category/work/2d/painting/. Accessed 12 May 2023.

“Works of Ellen G White : Ellen G White : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, 1 Jan. 1888, archive.org/details/TestimoniesForTheChurchVolume5. 

Images 

Bio Art, www.ekac.org/transgenicindex.html. Accessed 12 May 2023.

Revival Field – Mel Chin, melchin.org/oeuvre/revival-field/. Accessed 12 May 2023.

“Zebra.” Marta de Menezes, martademenezes.com/art/nature/zebra/. Accessed 12 May 2023.