This
week’s lectures explored BioArt, an art practice that treats live tissues and
organisms as materials to manipulate (Solon). Despite its rather provocative,
technologically demanding, and ethically controversial nature, BioArt turns
life into a valid expressive medium for making social commentary and raising
questions on the role of science in society.
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| Harlequin Coat |
The French artist Orlan surprised me once again, this time with her Harlequin Coat project, which thankfully did not turn out to be a kind of wearable coat (“Harlequin Coat”). Instead, this multi-media installation consists of a colorful patchwork of diamond shapes, each containing petri dishes that co-culture various cells from different species and ethnic origins. It makes an interesting statement on the possibility of hybridizing different species, which I think sounds absurd yet also imaginative.
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| Brave New World |
The
discussion on genetical engineering as art reminded of two works of popular
culture. One is Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel “A Brave New World,” which illustrates
a “soft” totalitarian world marred by boundless hedonism, sexual promiscuity,
and genetically modified babies, the latter aspect suggesting that a highly
futuristic society is simultaneously horrifying and fascinating (Atwood). Another work is the Hollywood 1968 classic
“Planet of the Apes,” in which apes were genetically engineered to possess
human-like intelligence and would eventually become the dominant species (THR
Staff). It touches on themes from animal cruelty to the meaninglessness of war
(Sexton).
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| Planet of the Apes (Original) |
I appreciate that BioArt places no limits on human creativity, even if it means creating shock value, exposing us to the power of technology to go beyond the natural laws governing life.
Sources:
Atwood, Margaret.
“Margaret Atwood on Brave New World.” The Guardian, Guardian News
and Media, 17 Nov. 2007,
www.theguardian.com/books/2007/nov/17/classics.margaretatwood.
“Harlequin
Coat.” Still, Living, SymbioticA,
www.stillliving.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au/pages/artists/orlan.htm.
Sexton, Timothy.
“Planet of the Apes Themes.” GradeSaver,
www.gradesaver.com/planet-of-the-apes/study-guide/themes.
Solon, Olivia.
“Bioart: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Using Living Tissue as a Medium.” Wired,
Conde Nast, 3 June 2017, www.wired.com/2011/07/bioart/.
Staff, THR. “'Planet
of the Apes': THR's 1968 Review.” The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar.
2017,
www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/planet-apes-1968-review-i-original-movie-973869.
Images:
“Harlequin Coat.” Fact, https://www.fact.co.uk/projects/sk-interfaces/orlan-harlequin-coat.aspx
“Scene from Planet of
the Apes.” SlashFilm, 12 Jul 2016, http://www.slashfilm.com/planet-of-the-apes-in-theaters/
“Brave New World.” Raptis Rare Books. https://www.raptisrarebooks.com/images/59937/brave-new-world-aldous-huxley-first-edition-rare-signed.jpg
All these talks about placing genes in a living thing in which it originally did not belong is scary. With scientist going as far as creating genetically modified babies so that they are "perfect" compared to us plain old humans is really terrifying. We are going to be replaced by objects that we ourselves invent... Interesting article by the way!
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