Creating art from genes and bacteria

Have you seen an artwork made of live bacteria and genes?

Bioart which has become one of several contemporary art forms that apply scientific methods to explore living systems as artistic subjects. Bioart ranges from bacterial manipulation to glowing rabbits, cellular sculptures, and — in the case of Australian-British artist Nina Sellars — documentation of an ear prosthetic that was implanted onto fellow artist Stelarc’s arm.

Conduit for new ideas

“Most people do not know that bioart exists but it can enable scientists to produce new ideas and give us opportunities to look differently at problems,” said study author Ali K. Yetisen from Harvard Medical School.

At the same time, there has been a lot of ethical and safety concerns happening around bioart and artists who wanted to get involved in the past have made mistakes, he added.

Bioart encourages discussions about societal, philosophical and environmental issues.“It can help enhance public understanding of advances in biotechnology and genetic engineering,” added study co-author Ahmet F Coskun from California Institute of Technology.

Joe Davis is an artist who works not only with paints or pastels, but also with genes and bacteria. — IANS

Source :- The Hindu, 01-Dec-2015