Skip to main content

Week 6 - BioTech + Art


In this week’s lecture, Dr. Vesna discussed biotechnology and art; the sensitivity around this collaboration was what stood out to me. Despite the sensitivity, I do believe that art and biotechnology is a great and healthy collaboration.





There was sensitivity around the ethics of art interfering with science because genetic engineering can be perceived as a “mix of nature and culture” (Levy 8). I actually had ‘oh!’ and ‘ew!’ and ‘wow!’ reactions towards the images used in the lecture videos, a lot more than the previous lectures. Before I could complain any more, there’s an artist mentioned in Dr. Vesna’s lecture this week that has already addressed it.

“The lack of a common global aesthetic and a historical track record of bad taste (i.e., ethnic cleansing, line dancing, liposuction, most painting) provides me with the impetus, the eclectic fecundity to guarantee iconoclasm in a situation which could all too easily lead to the erasure of the same,” - Adam Zaretsky

The quote helped me develop an understanding of the purpose behind the art form that mixes with science. The purpose is for people to feel less uncomfortable around things that are coexisting around them already but no visually ready. Even the food we consume has biotechnology behind it!

In the researches that study biotechnology, the whole ethics issue is frequently brought up. I personally believe that art and biotechnology is a great collaboration because it can render good outcomes such as delivering sustainable food options for the poor (Persley 2). Art acts as a medium to reach out and appeal to the population who are already well economically. So together, this collaboration is one that will benefit everyone.

The issue of ethics is definitely a legitimate problem, but even science in Europe that tends to take a more scientific approach, they implement preliminary sessions to ensure there are not macroscopic societal issues (Serratosa & Simone 96). Thus it really does seem like the sensitivity is something more bureaucratic than anything else.

Furthering my argument for the collaboration between art and biotechnology, I believe it is important to always work together and likewise, the saying, “two heads are better than one”, different minds help bring different ideas and perspective to the table which supports “creativity breed creativity” (Kelty 5).
  
SOURCES:

Cabañas, Marcos. “César Marcos Cabañas.” EComercio Agrario, Redacción ECA Http://Ecomercioagrario.com/Wp-Content/Uploads/2015/09/logo1.Png, 2 June 2016, ecomercioagrario.com/en/pec-events/the-role-of-agricultural-biotechnology-in-food-security/.


“CUT/PASTE/GROW: The Beautiful Abominations of Bio Art.” ANIMAL, 26 Mar. 2013, animalnewyork.com/2013/beautiful-abominations-an-exploration-of-bio-art-at-observatory/.

De Simone, F., and J. Serratosa. "Biotechnology, animal health and animal welfare within the framework of European Union legislation." Revue scientifique et technique-Office international des épizooties 24.1 (2005): 89-99.

Kelty, Chris. “meanings of participation: Outlaw Biology?” BioTech + Art. Desma 9, UCLA, 2018.

Levy, Ellen K. "Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications." (2007).

Persley, Gabrielle Josephine. Biotechnology for developing-country agriculture: problems and opportunities. No. 2. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 1999.

Staff, TakePart. “12 Genetically Engineered Animals That Changed Modern Science.” TakePart, 6 Mar. 2016, www.takepart.com/photos/genetically-engineered-mosquitos-fight-zika-see-12-other-animals-modified-lab/index.html.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 BioArt pt3” BioTech + Art. Desma 9, 13 May. 2018, Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles, https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=3EpD3np1S2g

Comments

  1. AMMay 16, 2018 at 2:59 PM

    Hi Galen,

    I find it interesting how you mentioned the idea of foods being considered bioart when they are genetically modified and processed. A lot of the foods if not all of it we eat have been altered in some way shape or form. I like how you also mentioned the controversy between nature and culture.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 4 - Medicine + Technology + Art

This week, I learned and understood the connection between medicine technology and art. In the lecture, Dr. Vesna provides many examples where renowned artists perform with the tools of medicine technology. One of that artist is ORLAN, and her art did render uncomfortable when I tried to understand the overall purpose. Though I believe it is brave for her to bring gender issues by describing her process as one that focused on the stories of different women into the limelight with her art form.  ORLAN before the cosmetic surgery operation she broadcast to galleries worldwide.  Photograph: Sipa Press/REX/Shutterstock To me, ORLAN's art used medicine technology for physical alterations. It is amazing to learn that medicine technology could also work for mental and sensory satisfaction as described by Diana Gromala, with virtual reality, sensory information in the form of art can act as a distraction to help alleviate pain. MRI Brain Scan Resutls In Different Views P...
1 comment
Read more

Week 1 - Two Cultures

Visual that shows how education may allow individuals to fight for what they believe in. (Courtesy of: https://tcedfair.org/2015/05/) As an aspiring social justice science educator in the environment of secondary education, it is my duty to instill the belief that knowledge is freedom and the key to freedom is accessible through education. As David Bohm said, the quality of creativity is important in education and is acquired through the application of various academic cultures. This is a constant reminder to myself that it is important to build a diverse curriculum to encourage students to practice a diverse set of skills.          In the setting of my own education at UCLA, the physical divide between “north campus” and “south campus” strongly supports the idea that there are groups that conform and believe in the idea that arts and science has a division as mentioned by C.P. Snow in “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution” and in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Event 1 - Acoustical Visions, Bill Fontana

Bill Fontana's artistic vision In this presentation, Bill Fontana proposes his vision of art and how it was during certain state of minds, or moments, when he feels musical, that sounds around him also becomes musical (Fontana 1978). As a science student, I initially imagined that being like my ‘Aha! moment’, but as his presentation went on, it changed. Fort Mason in San Francisco, a presentation slide from Bill Fontana One of Fontana’s early project took place in San Francisco, which is also my home! He recorded the sounds of fog horns at Fort Mason, in San Francisco. In this project, Fontana approaches the sounds of the fog horns as a structure that allows sound to bring together the real time between different spaces. During the presentation, I felt conflicted because I was not sure how real time and different spaces could be connected through sound, since sound travelled at a set speed, 343 meters per second, people at different locations would e...
Post a Comment
Read more