Week 6

 Medtech + Art

    This week we learned about bio-art and various artists that use living organisms, tissues, or biological processes as their medium. A major question that Professor Vesna discussed in her lectures was: How do we define bio-art? There is debate as to whether the artists have to be working with cells or in a lab for their artwork to be considered bio-art. 
    The art piece that interested me most this week was the GFP bunny, which refers to a genetically modified rabbit that has been altered to produce green fluorescent protein, or GFP, in its cells. The GFP bunny, also known as Alba, was created in 2000 by French artist Eduardo Kac. The GFP gene was originally isolated from a jellyfish and Kac had help from a  team of geneticists that used zygote microinjection on the rabbit. Although I believe that the rabbit itself is a work of art, many were inspired to create their own art projects. For example, Kac writes that "in the twenty years that followed, it has been appropriated by pop culture, transformed and incorporated into novels, television, games, and film" (Kac). 


















    
Due to the controversy brought about by Alba, butterfly wing modifications, and other projects that involve the modification of living organisms, I wanted to further research the ethics behind bio-art. While many bio-artists argue that their work sheds light on the biotech industry's ethical boundaries, some animal rights activists are denouncing bio-artists for doing precisely that (Schmitz). 










    Works Cited
Sources:

Gordon, Jason. “What Is Bio Art?” ARTDEX, 14 July 2020, www.artdex.com/what-is-bio-art/.

Kac, Eduardo. “GFP Bunny at 20.” GFP Bunny, www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor. Accessed 12 May 2023.

Schmitz, Rob. “Bioartists’ Flesh Sculptures Draw Fans and Critics.” NPR, 10 Dec. 2007, www.npr.org/2007/12/10/17097173/bioartists-flesh-sculptures-draw-fans-and-critics.

Vesna, Victoria. “BioTech + Art Lecture Part 1”. BruinLearn, https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/160989/pages/unit-6-view?module_item_id=5946338.

Vesna, Victoria. “BioTech + Art Lecture Part 5”. BruinLearn, https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/160989/pages/unit-6-view?module_item_id=5946338.

Images:

Kac, Eduardo. GFP Bunny – Noema – Technology & Society, noemalab.eu/ideas/gfp-bunny/. Accessed 13 May 2023.

Stracey, Frances. “Bio-Art: The Ethics behind the Aesthetics.” Nature News, 20 May 2009, www.nature.com/articles/nrm2699.

Zimmer, Marc. “GFP - Green Fluorescent Protein.” Green Fluorescent Protein - Cool Uses - Alba, www.conncoll.edu/ccacad/zimmer/GFP-ww/cooluses8.html. Accessed 12 May 2023.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Event 2 Blog

Image
 Cosmological Elements #3                I recently attended the third Cosmological Elements event on May 5th. The initial presentation featured a captivating short documentary titled "The Moon Goose Analogue." Its central concept revolved around the training of geese for lunar missions. Initially, I found myself perplexed, but Professor Vesna later elucidated that the video served as a thought-provoking commentary on the training of humans for space exploration and beyond.      A major question brought about by this Zoom exhibition that interested me was: How do we store data for the future? Preparation for a possible future outside of Earth proved to be a recurring theme emerged across various projects. Sebastian Neitsch delved into the challenge of long-term data storage, emphasizing the limitations of achieving universality in data preservation. Conversely, during the Zoom session, another guest, Ellen Levy, intro...
Read more

Week 7

Image
 Neuroscience + Art     This week we delved into the history of neuroscience and the many ways it connects to art and can be considered art itself. I particularly enjoyed Suzanne Anker's work with FMRI butterflies and sea sponges. From this, I learned the remarkable fact that  humans share 70% of their genetic makeup with sea sponges (Vesna). Neuroscience explores the processes that occur when we engage with artistic creations. After watching Dr. Daniel Jay's Zoom, I learned more about how the brain perceives and interprets art. By studying the nervous system, artists can manipulate their artwork in order to stimulate the brain in different ways. One example of this is neo-impressionism.     Neo-impressionism emphasizes the scientific principles behind perception and the exploration of color theory. The technique involves applying small dots or strokes of unmixed colors on the canvas. When viewed from a distance, it creates a sense of luminosity and vibranc...
Read more

Week 8

Image
 Nanotech + Art        Dr. Gimzewski's six-part lecture taught us about nanotechnology, which focuses on manipulating and controlling matter at the nanoscale. To help visualize the size, Dr. Gimzewski displayed a chart, showing where things lie on the power of tens scale. For example, a sugar molecule is about 1 nanometer. One concept I found interesting was the idea of biomimicry. Scientists have attempted to replicate the nanostructure of gecko's feet as they are able to easily adhere to surfaces and hold their body weights.  He, of course, discussed nanotechnology's interconnection with art, however what I found particularly significant was its connection with medicine, known as nanomedicine. He highlighted the immense future potential of nanomedicine, exemplifying one instance where it offers a solution to mitigate the toxicity of chemotherapy in cancer patients.      One way in which nanotechnology is greatly impacting the art ...
Read more