art laboratory berlin: Photos of artist talk with C-LAB and Rüdiger Trojok

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Photos of artist talk with C-LAB and Rüdiger Trojok - 24 August, 2012

C-LAB is a London based artist collective, founded by the two artists and scientists Laura Cinti and Howard Boland, that is dealing critically with contemporary intersections and cross-fertilisation of art, science, and technology. The work of Cinti and Boland focuses on the examination and exploration of the implications, properties and peculiarities of all which is or regards organic and synthetic life. This being their incentive, they want to create a platform that is open for both artistic and scientific reflection and discourse. In their most recent experimental art projects, C-LAB developed a variety of genetic constructs that led to new kinds of behavior of e.coli bacteria; the scientists thereby explored the possibilities of synthetic biology and techniques of genetic engineering in an art context (e.g. in artworks such as kate, katEred, Stressostat or Banana Bacteria).

Laura Cinti from C-LAB (front left)

Howard Boland from C-LAB presenting

Also the DIY scene has started to experiment with biology on a molecular level in private homes. The technologies and chemicals that they use are usually being acquired through the internet, just like the theoretical background knowledge and the working instructions. This growing community meets in online forums or festivals, and is connected worldwide. The movement is creating both fascination and discomfort, the potential misuse of modern biotechnologies is creating fears in times of repeated warnings of pandemics through viruses such as SARS or H5N1. At the same time this democratization of technologies and knowledge can lead to new impulses for the sciences as well as enhance public debate and consciousness.

Rüdiger Trojok gave a presentation of the do-it-yourself biohacking scene and the possibilities and limits of bringing biotechnologies into private spaces.