Oron Catts “Biology on the Pedestal”

Oron Catts
Biology on the Pedestal
Public lecture

Weisman Art Museum
November 27, 7pm
It is more than two decades since I began manipulating (fragments of) living systems for artistic ends. During this time the mindsets governing the relationships to the concept of life have shifted quite significantly due to developments in science and engineering.

It can be argued that artistic practices, which involve the use of scientific and technological tools for the manipulation of life, have played a role in these shifts of approaches to life. The positioning of biotechnological artifacts within cultural institutions exposed and challenged some social, ethical and ontological issues. For example; traditional social contracts regarding the nature of cultural institutions and their content; artists and their subject matter as well as audience expectations. The discourse generated by placing manipulated lifeforms within cultural context yielded a range of unanticipated outcomes, which in some cases have been different and even contrary to the original intention of the artists.

This talk would attempt to unpack the role played by different cultural institutions (such as art/science/natural history museums), research settings, cultural workers (artists, curators, and critics), popular media, and industry in their dealings with biotechnological artifacts.

The talk would attempt to situate the existence of biotechnological artifacts within a timeline and scale of global scientific, technological, economic and cultural narratives and endeavours.