Bio Art: Where Science Meets Creative Expression
When we talk about science and art, many people think that these two words are not comparable. However, in 1997, the world heard about a new term—bioart. Then, scientist Eduardo Kac came up with the idea of using his knowledge from biology and applying it to the field of art. This trend has since been supported by other intelligent people who wanted to illustrate biotechnology through art.
Bioart is more than meaningless work for the sake of money or fame. Such projects incorporate the thought and idea that science can be closely intertwined with modern art. This article will tell you more about the concept of bioart, popular works by artists-scientists and what the near future holds for this industry.
Bioart is more than meaningless work for the sake of money or fame. Such projects incorporate the thought and idea that science can be closely intertwined with modern art. This article will tell you more about the concept of bioart, popular works by artists-scientists and what the near future holds for this industry.
bio art
Daryna Markova
contributor DOM Art Residence
Nov 28, 2024
What is Bio Art?
It's no secret that the basic materials for traditional art include paint, paper, glue, stone, and more. However, bioart is something different where living things, materials, bacteria, and microorganisms are used. Artists try to combine them in unusual ways to create something truly unique that can shock the world.
People who create works in the combined fields of art and biology have great knowledge and excellent imagination. Instead of the usual workshops and canvases, they work on their works in biological laboratories and use modern equipment. A special uniqueness is that in this industry, there are no requirements for the content of the art object. The scientists themselves decide what materials to use and how to present them.
People who create works in the combined fields of art and biology have great knowledge and excellent imagination. Instead of the usual workshops and canvases, they work on their works in biological laboratories and use modern equipment. A special uniqueness is that in this industry, there are no requirements for the content of the art object. The scientists themselves decide what materials to use and how to present them.
Pioneers of Bio Art: Artists Who Changed the Game
These days, you can find a large number of people who create unique objects by combining arts and biology together. However, this trend has become so popular and has been accepted by society thanks to several pioneering scientists. Among them, we can highlight such artist-scientists:
We call them the ones who managed to change the game then and show people that bioart is worth their attention. All of their works have biological materials, a technological approach and a strange idea. Let us tell you more about each of these people and their best art objects.
- Eduardo Kac.
- Heather Dewey-Hagborg.
- Marta de Menezes.
- Joe Davis.
- Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr.
We call them the ones who managed to change the game then and show people that bioart is worth their attention. All of their works have biological materials, a technological approach and a strange idea. Let us tell you more about each of these people and their best art objects.
Eduardo Kac
The first person you should learn about when exploring the topic of bioart, in general, is Eduardo Kac. He is considered the founder of this trend and was the first to suggest such a term to use. Many people could not understand his first works, and skeptics in general called it crazy. However, younger generations today appreciate how Eduardo manages to combine elements of art and science.
He has many interesting works, including embedding an animal chip in his body and inserting his own DNA into an ordinary flower. No less interesting work by Eduardo Kac is GFP Bunny, which made a lot of noise in the media more than 20 years ago. The essence of this project was to add green fluorescent protein (GFP) to the genes of a normal rabbit. This allowed the rabbit to light up brightly when ultraviolet rays were pointed at it.
Some call his work cruel to living organisms, while others at the time marvel at it. By applying scientific concepts with artistic aesthetics, his works investigate the philosophical issues of the socio-cultural and ethical realities of biotechnologies while redefining life and art.
He has many interesting works, including embedding an animal chip in his body and inserting his own DNA into an ordinary flower. No less interesting work by Eduardo Kac is GFP Bunny, which made a lot of noise in the media more than 20 years ago. The essence of this project was to add green fluorescent protein (GFP) to the genes of a normal rabbit. This allowed the rabbit to light up brightly when ultraviolet rays were pointed at it.
Some call his work cruel to living organisms, while others at the time marvel at it. By applying scientific concepts with artistic aesthetics, his works investigate the philosophical issues of the socio-cultural and ethical realities of biotechnologies while redefining life and art.
Heather Dewey-Hagborg
The American bio artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg is all about crafting thought-provoking art in the context of science and privacy. Her provocative but celebrated project «Stranger Visions» (2012-2013) involved collecting hair, cigarette butts, and chewing gum from public places in order to get the DNA.
The artist 3D printed a portrait sculptural form that resembled the faces of the anonymous persons. Using this work, Dewey-Hagborg aimed to provoke a discussion concerning the concept of genetic privacy in a world of biometric information and forensic phenotyping of DNA.
Some of her other work involved raising awareness of biotechnology and creating debates on issues such as the commercialization of genetic information. For some people, she says her bio art is unethical. However, she stated that her creative speculations could contribute to revealing problematic aspects of new biotechnologies concerning consent, ownership, discrimination, and personal identity control problems. In any case, her imaginative projects manage to elicit active public engagement with a range of technoethical issues.
The artist 3D printed a portrait sculptural form that resembled the faces of the anonymous persons. Using this work, Dewey-Hagborg aimed to provoke a discussion concerning the concept of genetic privacy in a world of biometric information and forensic phenotyping of DNA.
Some of her other work involved raising awareness of biotechnology and creating debates on issues such as the commercialization of genetic information. For some people, she says her bio art is unethical. However, she stated that her creative speculations could contribute to revealing problematic aspects of new biotechnologies concerning consent, ownership, discrimination, and personal identity control problems. In any case, her imaginative projects manage to elicit active public engagement with a range of technoethical issues.
Marta de Menezes
Portuguese Marta de Menezes belongs to the pioneers of bioart. In her intellectual project called «Nature?», de Menezes painted real butterflies and selected the alterations of the wings through breeding. She made butterflies distinctly different and painted new markings that are not found in normal butterflies. She aimed to provoke people to thinking if we can have the answer to what is really «natural».
There is the presence of an integration of systematic scientific approaches and artistic creativity in De Menezes's work. Although her techniques are grounded in genetics and entomology, she employs such techniques to reignite visual practices that problematize relationships between humans and the more-than-human world. That is why works such as “Nature?” reveal how bio art employs living organisms as materials. What is interesting in de Menezes’s video is the attempt to combine biology experiments with conceptual art.
There is the presence of an integration of systematic scientific approaches and artistic creativity in De Menezes's work. Although her techniques are grounded in genetics and entomology, she employs such techniques to reignite visual practices that problematize relationships between humans and the more-than-human world. That is why works such as “Nature?” reveal how bio art employs living organisms as materials. What is interesting in de Menezes’s video is the attempt to combine biology experiments with conceptual art.
Joe Davis
Another artist-scientist who is considered one of the founders of the bioart movement is Joe Davis. He has been involved in scientific research all his life, and his first work was created due to his extensive knowledge of gene therapy. His career at MIT led to the famous Microvenus project in 2000, during which Davis was able to insert a symbol into the genome of the bacterium E. Coli. The image represents an iconized female character referring to Valerio Botticelli’s painting called Birth of Venus.
However, Davis has long been more concerned with questions of using genetics and synthetic biology to pass cultural ideas from one generation to another. His work looks at how such engineered organisms may back up aspects of human culture into DNA.
However, Davis has long been more concerned with questions of using genetics and synthetic biology to pass cultural ideas from one generation to another. His work looks at how such engineered organisms may back up aspects of human culture into DNA.
Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr
Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr began the Tissue Culture & Art Project in 1996 in order to establish tissue engineering as an art vehicle. Their work «Victimless Leather» launched in 2004, was aimed at growing leather-like materials from the cultures of cells without having to kill a single animal. It sparked a conversation as to the propriety of using living tissues in an art piece.
Catts and Zurr wished to question conceptions of life if the artists were able to produce new semi-living organisms from immortalized cell lines. «Pig Wings» (2000-2001) and «Semi-Living Worry Dolls» (2000) are two examples of projects explored with these concepts. Their research challenged an important notion in the sense of what it is to be «alive». Biotech art became a new way of creating philosophical discussions over the controversies of the scientific work of biotechnologies due to the scientific creativeness of Catts and Zurr.
Catts and Zurr wished to question conceptions of life if the artists were able to produce new semi-living organisms from immortalized cell lines. «Pig Wings» (2000-2001) and «Semi-Living Worry Dolls» (2000) are two examples of projects explored with these concepts. Their research challenged an important notion in the sense of what it is to be «alive». Biotech art became a new way of creating philosophical discussions over the controversies of the scientific work of biotechnologies due to the scientific creativeness of Catts and Zurr.
Bio Art Exhibitions and Galleries
«The greatest scientists are artists as well» - Albert Einstein
When the first bioart creations first appeared, only like-minded scientists expressed interest in them and it was difficult to present them to a large number of people. Today, much has changed thanks to the Internet and modern technologies. Every year, different exhibitions are held, where objects of art from biology are provided. Some museums display the works of famous people on their shelves so that everyone can see it live.
Let us tell you about one place where each of you can see the best works of modern bio art artists. We are talking about the Ars Electronica festival, which is located in the Austrian city of Linz. This festival is held annually and gathers scientists, artists, their art objects, and of course, thousands of visitors.
Interestingly, during this festival, the best works of the year are also selected and their creators are awarded. For example, Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr managed to get the prestigious award for their jointly created masterpiece, which perfectly combines elements of art and biological approach.
When the first bioart creations first appeared, only like-minded scientists expressed interest in them and it was difficult to present them to a large number of people. Today, much has changed thanks to the Internet and modern technologies. Every year, different exhibitions are held, where objects of art from biology are provided. Some museums display the works of famous people on their shelves so that everyone can see it live.
Let us tell you about one place where each of you can see the best works of modern bio art artists. We are talking about the Ars Electronica festival, which is located in the Austrian city of Linz. This festival is held annually and gathers scientists, artists, their art objects, and of course, thousands of visitors.
Interestingly, during this festival, the best works of the year are also selected and their creators are awarded. For example, Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr managed to get the prestigious award for their jointly created masterpiece, which perfectly combines elements of art and biological approach.
The Future of Bio Art
Now you know what bioart was like 20 years ago and see what is happening now. However, no one knows how this sphere will develop in the near future. We can make an assumption that the works of biologists-artists will become even more interesting and popular among the society.
Actually, when we talk about technology in general, we realize that in the future, mankind is waiting for huge progress. Why is it so? It is no secret today what neural networks and artificial intelligence represent. It is actively used in art and also genetic engineering, the development of new technological solutions, and much more. Many experts are sure that advanced technologies paired with AI will be able to bring the bio art area to a new level of progress.
Actually, when we talk about technology in general, we realize that in the future, mankind is waiting for huge progress. Why is it so? It is no secret today what neural networks and artificial intelligence represent. It is actively used in art and also genetic engineering, the development of new technological solutions, and much more. Many experts are sure that advanced technologies paired with AI will be able to bring the bio art area to a new level of progress.
Conclusion
Most traditional artists create their paintings that are incomprehensible to many people today. Over 20 years ago, bio scientists began creating artwork that may seem strange. However, an extra ear on an arm, a chip inside the body, and more are all unique ways to show society how modern technology and biology knowledge meet art. Such bioart is increasingly winning valuable awards in the fields of science and technological art.