BioArt: Where Science and Creativity Converge

This artwork has been exhibited internationally at notable exhibitions including at “Ars Electronica AI: The Other I” in 2017, The Beijing Media Arts Biennale in 2018, and in “La Fabrique Du Vivant” at The Centre Pompidou in 2019

In the fascinating intersection of art, biology, and technology, a new genre has emerged: BioArt. This innovative practice blurs the boundaries between artistic expression and scientific inquiry.

BioArt offers a glimpse into what’s possible. It challenges our perception of humanity and raises ethical concerns about biotechnological advancements.

BioArt involves using living organisms, live tissues, bacteria, genetic material, and biological processes to create artworks. Lately, the artists draw inspiration from biological systems, challenging our perceptions and sparking discussions about evolution, identity, and ethics.

BioArt celebrates the intricate beauty of the natural world, from bacterial patterns to bioluminescent organisms. By manipulating living organisms, artists raise ethical concerns about biotechnology and our role in the ecosystem. It’s a canvas where stem cells meet 3D printing, and where ethical debates intertwine with aesthetics.

Ex: Amy Karle’s “REGENERATIVE RELIQUARY,” (2015-2016)  a BioArt sculpture that integrates 3D printing, stem cells, and biodegradable materials. She created the sculpture of bio-printed scaffolds for human MSC stem cell culture into bone, in the shape of a human hand form installed in a vessel.

In 2019, Karle made The Heart Of Evolution, a 3D printed heart with a redesigned vascular system to enhance heart functionality and reducing the impact of embolism. Echoes From the Valley of Existence (2024), an interactive artwork, invites contemplation about existence, identity, and our cosmic connection .

Amy Karle’s art bridges the tangible and the intangible, inviting us to ponder the mysteries of life and beyond.

Also, the concept of transgenic art (transgenic art) was coined in 1998 by Eduardo Kac and refers to an art form “which works with genetic methods to transplant synthetic genes into one organism or natural genetic material from one species into another and thus to create unique living beings.”

Already before this definition, Reiner Maria Matysik presented an art project in 1986 named Rekombination The goal of transgenic art is to create organisms that carry foreign DNA within them. In Kac’s vision, art can continue evolution and make an actual creation of new living beings. Eduardo Kac’s best-known works include Genesis (1998/99), The Eight Day (2000/2001) and GFP Bunny (2000) which he commissioned in 2000 as the creation of a transgenic GFP rabbit. “The PR campaign included a picture of Kac holding a white rabbit and another rabbit photographically enhanced to appear green.”