The swift development of life sciences and technologies over the past few decades has urged a range of cultural critics, theorists and historians of science—and artists, and activists—to respond. The intensity and multiplicity of responses towards the development of these fields indicate that they are extremely potent with socio-political, economic, and ethical implications, signalling a necessity for biotech considerations to be more fully a part of our cultural discourse. Not surprisingly, it is a burning political issue. There are numerous debates today about GM (or GE) food production, about cloning, about DNA archaeology, and other contentious issues.
In the very specialized field of biotech arts, and as biotech artists have expanded their practice, it has become difficult for art critics to define this newly produced and radical trend in contemporary art, let alone to find a consensus or common ground in interpretation. How do we arrive at a definition of this new art form that utilizes the merging of genetics, art and information technologies, and which has been augmented in its means and accented in its direction through this ‘interdisciplinary’ interaction?
Melentie Pandilovski, Editor
Contents
INTRODUCTION
Melentie Pandilovski
THE SYSTEMATIC APPROACH
George Gessert Unverifiable Claims in Genetic Art
Anna Munster Bioaesthetics as Bioethics
Eugene Thacker Life-Resistance and Tactical Media
THE CRITICAL APPROACH
Critical Art Ensemble The Spectacle of Public Health Under the Sign of Bioterror
Diane Ludin i-BPE Strategy Text: sketches towards
Deep Harmonization
Gina Czarnecki Humancraft
Michalis Pichler certain things which lie within the
class of what is frightening
THE POSITIVIST APPROACH
Stuart Bunt The Role of the Scientist and Science in Bio-art
Roy Ascott Moistmedia Art : When the Jaguar lies down with the Lamb
Liljana Simjanovska INSPIRATION – (INSPIRIT-US)
THE FINE ARTISTIC APPROACH
André Brodyk non©ode code
Miguel Amado On the work of Marta De Menezes
Niki Sperou Verisimilitude : Biotechnology and Ancient
Greek Narrative
Raewyn Turner Lucky
Mike Stubbs By-products, accidents and collaboration
in between blue skies and dirty cracks
Zoran Todorovi? AGALMA
THE POSTMODERN APPROACH
Joe Davis Joe Davis on Art, Biology and the Body Politic
Adam Zaretsky pFARM
Tanya Visosevi? CHOOSE LIFE! – R.I.G. [rest in G.L.A.C.K.] Eduardo Kac Life Transformation – Art Mutation
Boo Chapple Journeys to the Other Side of the Navel
Oron Catts & Ionat Zurr The Art of the Semi-Living and Partial Life: Extra Ear – 1/4 Scale
FOAM : Maja Kuzmanovic & Nik Gaffney Transient patchiness: the slippery territories of groWorld
Melinda Cooper Tissue Culture Art – Relics, Living Dolls
and Meat
Recombinant I-Ching Collective Recombinant I-Ching
EXHIBITION NOTES
Art of the Biotech Era 27 February–3 April 2004, Experimental Art Foundation
WORKSHOPS
Biotech Art Gary Cass & Oron Catts
Art and Biotechnology Eduardo Kac
Workshop Review Kirsty Darlaston
BIOGRAPHIES
GALLERY
André Brodyk
Heath Bunting
Gina Czarnecki
Joe Davis
FOAM: Maja Kuzmanovic & Nik Gaffney
George Gessert
Eduardo Kac
Diane Ludin
Marta de Menezes
Mez
Michalis Pichler
Niki Sperou
Mike Stubbs
Morag Whitman
The Tissue Art & Culture Project (Oron Catts & Ionat Zurr)
Zoran Todorovi?
Polona Tratnik
Raewyn Turner
Tanya Visosevi?
Adam Zaretsky |
