Week 6 | BioTech+Art |

    This week I was able to learn about biotech.  Specifically in relation to art.  Previously to this week, I wasn’t sure what biotech was.  It seemed too daunting to even begin to understand.  After reviewing sources, I can say I have at least a base level understanding of the industry.

Humble Beginnings: The History of Modern Biotechnology
Biotech

    Firstly, I’d like to express my personal beliefs on using life itself as an expressive medium.  I believe that using life as an expressive medium has great potential to unlock boundaries.  In playing with life forms, we can learn more about humans and animals that may lead to life-altering advancements in the future.  One of these potential advancements was the extra ear experiment.  This experiment has the potential to help people with body misconfigurations in the future.  Pursuing these artistic endeavors may allow scientists to explore avenues that would have never been traversed previously.


Artist Grows Third Ear to Let the Internet Listen In on His Life
Extra Ear Project

    However, I do not believe in using life as an expressive medium “for sport”.  An example of this is the fluorescent bunny experiment.  This experiment was not conducted to improve the lives of people or animals.  It was only to show that something could be done.  This bunny did not contribute to any scientific advancement, yet had to suffer through tests, stress, and injections to achieve an unnatural fluorescence.


Scientists breed glow-in-the-dark rabbits | Animals | The Guardian
Fluorescent Bunny Experiment

    I believe there should be very clear, separate standards for any artists looking to manipulate living things and semi-living systems.  It is no longer just a form of expression.  It becomes an art that directly harms the canvas.  I believe any art conducted on a life form should also be in pursuit of medical advancement.  


Works Cited

“STELARC | EXTRA EAR.” Stelarc.org, 2023, stelarc.org/_activity-20229.php.

News, U. H. Glowing Green Rabbits Product of International Collaboration | University of Hawaiʻi System News. www.hawaii.edu/news/2013/08/08/glowing-green-rabbits-product-of-international-collaboration/.

‌Yetisen, Ali K., et al. “Bioart.” Trends in Biotechnology, vol. 33, no. 12, Dec. 2015, pp. 724–734, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2015.09.011.

‌UC Online. “5 Bioart Pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg. Accessed 6 May 2025.

‌Levy, Ellen. Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications.

‌News, Artnet. news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2015/08/150812130237-stelarc-exlarge-169-e1439473518733.jpg.

‌Guardian, The. www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2013%2Faug%2F13%2Fglow-in-dark-rabbits-scientists&psig=AOvVaw3uUosMkbUuJAX1zTzkfuKX&ust=1746677841092000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCLiVt6bAkI0DFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE.

‌Biotech, LA. www.labiotech.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/genentech-history-biotech-genetic-engineering-cloning.jpg.

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Comments

  1. Kyle KalindjianMay 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM

    Hey Brandon, great job! I appreciate how you highlighted the tension between innovation and ethics in biotech art. Your point about setting clear boundaries for artistic experimentation with living organisms is thoughtful and does a good job of highlghting the responsibility artists have when their medium is life itself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ivan DMay 7, 2025 at 8:13 PM

    Hey Brandon, I found your blog both thoughtful and well balanced. Like you, I now see the power of biotech as an artistic medium. The extra ear project, while controversial, could one day be viewed as a big step toward medical breakthroughs, like in body regeneration. Your concerns about ethics are important. Just as tech leaders today struggle with AI responsibility, biotech artists must also consider the impact of their work on living mediums. This week’s biggest takeaway for me is the need for clear ethical standards that ensure innovation respects life while still advancing science and artistic exploration!

    ReplyDelete
  3. LaurenMay 7, 2025 at 8:27 PM

    I enjoyed reading your blog this week. I like how you started off with your current knowledge, and I would have to agree that I didn't really understand what it was. I also agree with you when you said that you don't believe in using life as a way to express art in a way. I also wrote about the gfp bunny and found it kind of confusing because it led to nowhere even after all the experiments done on it. I also touched on the ethics of using animals as a means of testing and experimenting. I also agree that there should be a standard on using living things on test subjects.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ryankingDESMA9May 8, 2025 at 10:44 AM

    Hey Brandon, I really enjoyed the blog post this week and like that you dove into the possible wrongs of this practice in your response. There are many bad things that can happen in the biotech space and I think that we as human need to know when to draw the line when it comes to changing things without real purpose. Especially when it comes down to meaningless things like sport or game for human enjoyment and hurting the animals because of this.

    ReplyDelete
  5. MisterInsomniacMay 9, 2025 at 5:16 PM

    I really appreciate how you balanced your perspective on biotech art by acknowledging both its potential and its ethical boundaries. Your support for projects like the Extra Ear experiment shows a strong understanding of how art and science can work together to benefit society. At the same time, I agree with your concerns about using life for artistic expression without a clear purpose, like in the fluorescent bunny experiment. Your call for separate standards in bioart is important—it reminds us that just because something can be done doesn’t always mean it should be. Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful reflection!

    ReplyDelete

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