WEEK 6 BLOG

 This week's exploration of biotechnology and art challenged my understanding of what art can be and the boundaries of creative ethics. Artists like Eduardo Kac and Oron Catts challenge us to consider the manipulation of life as an expressive medium. Kac's "GFP Bunny" and Catts and Zurr's "Victimless Leather" demonstrate that biotechnology is not just a scientific tool but a cultural and aesthetic language that can critique human values, ethics, and power. These pieces communicate through life rather than merely "using" it. In my experience, these pieces are meant to evoke conflict, to hold beauty and discomfort in the same space, which is why I found myself both fascinated and uneasy.

   I gave careful thought to Ruth West's questions this week: Should artists be held to the same standards as scientists? They should, in my opinion, in certain respects, particularly when actual living things are involved, but I also think that art has a distinct function. While art challenges us to face issues we'd prefer to avoid, science frequently seeks to solve them. These bio-artworks, in my opinion, have a strong effect on us by getting us to consider topics like control, consent, and the morality of "playing God," which are frequently obscured by the realm of laboratory science. Nevertheless, I do think that boundaries are required—not to restrict creativity, but to make sure that the pursuit of provocation or spectacle doesn't trump respect for life in all its forms.

    Since living systems should be respected as both biological entities and emotional and symbolic bearers of meaning, boundaries must be established to recognize the moral complexity of working with life. The surgical artwork "Ear on Arm" by Stelarc challenges viewers to consider surveillance, bio-enhancement, and bodily autonomy. These pieces demonstrate that biotech art is not only about shock but also about posing the most difficult problems that confront us as creators in a time when creating life is not merely a hypothetical but a reality.

Works Cited

“Jens Hauser – Art, Culture, and Technology (ACT).” Mit.edu, 2018, act.mit.edu/about/people/jens-hauser/. Accessed 7 May 2025.

Kac, Eduardo. “GFP BUNNY.” Www.ekac.org, 2000, www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html.

Stelarc. “STELARC | EAR on ARM.” Stelarc.org, 2024, stelarc.org/_activity-20242.php.

“SymbioticA: Provoking Dialogue about Artful Science.” Research Impact at UWA, 18 Oct. 2018, researchimpact.uwa.edu.au/research-impact-stories/symbiotica/.

BioTech+Art lectures Week 7

Stelarc -- Making Art out of the Human Body

Victimless Leather – The Tissue Culture ...

GFP Bunny



Comments

  1. adannachimaraDESMA9May 11, 2025 at 3:23 PM

    Hi Kaitlyn, I relate to your simultaneous feelings of fascination and uneasiness by witnessing some of our biotechnological advancements. It is important that artists are careful when "playing" with life, because there are many ethical implications that come with life. Innovation is beautiful, however the lines between what is okay and what isn't can easily be blurred, so it is imperative to be careful.

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