Week 6: BioTech + Art


Biotechnology is a new and exciting field, yet, as was mentioned in the lectures this week, it also has the potential to be very controversial. Working with living things and biological organisms requires the consideration of what life is, as well as the proper treatment of life. Artists working with biotechnology can pioneer advancements in this field to benefit humans, animals, and the environment.

Mel Chin's "Revival Field"

In the case of Mel Chin's "Revival Field", his experimentation on using plants to extract heavy metals from contaminated soil led to the development of a low-cost alternative to soil remediation methods. Osamu Shimomura's work on genes has resulted in a new technique for scientists to test the effect of pharmaceutical drugs on the body without surgery, which is highly invasive and more much dangerous.


Eduardo Kac and Alba

However, the field of biotechnology can also be controversial and harmful, as the use of animals testing has brought about a lot of ethical questions. H.G. Well's book The Island of Dr. Moreau addresses the ethical issues with experimentation with living creatures. In this book, one of the main characters, Dr. Moreau, treats the creatures he has experimented with contempt and superiority.

Kathy High's installation "Embracing Animal"

However, Kathy High challenged this idea with her "Embracing Animal" installation, where she bought breeding rats from laboratories and nurtured them. Eduardo Kac's transgenic artwork "GFP Bunny", which he and his family named "Alba", challenges the cold, distant treatment of animals used for testing. Kac describes the first time he held Alba, stating that "She immediately awoke in me a strong and urgent sense of responsibility for her well-being." Clearly, the use of animal testing in the field of biotechnology does not have to be one of inhumane mistreatment.


Sources

  • "Installation views of Embracing Animal at MASS MoCA." Embracing Animal. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2017.
  • Kac, Eduardo. "GFP Bunny." GFP BUNNY. Eduardo Kac, n.d. Web. 13 May 2017.
  • "Revival Field." Mel Chin. Mel Chin, n.d. Web. 13 May 2017.
  • Vesna, Victoria. YouTube. UC Online Program, 18 Sep. 2013. Web. 13 May. 2017.
  • Wells, H. G. The island of Dr. Moreau. New York: Dover Publications, 2014. Print.

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 13, 2017 at 9:24 PM

    Thank you Sarah for representing all of the different perspectives about the combination of biotechnology and art! I believe that developments such as these can indeed help humanity, as you were saying about testing pharmaceutical drugs and even environmental improvements. The ethical issue in regards to the use of animals in these projects is indeed a valid point; however, I believe that the benefits of technology and art coming together to help humanity outweighs these consequences. Especially knowing that there are researchers such as Kathy High and Eduardo Kac, who truly care about and love their "test animals," it makes me ponder whether these concerns are as huge as an issue as people believe.

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