Call for Participants: SymbioticA Biotech for Artists Workshop

28th January – 1st February, 2013

Deadline for applications – Monday 26th November 2012

BiofiliA, Base for Biological Arts, Aalto University, Finland, in collaboration with SymbioticA, The University of Western Australia is organizing an intensive five day workshop for artists and other interested people. After the workshop the opening of the new laboratory and biological arts programme will be celebrated.

The workshop will be led by SymbioticA’s Director and Aalto visiting Professor Oron Catts and BiofiliA’s scientific collaborator Marika Hellman.

This is a hands-on workshop where the tools of modern biology are demonstrated through artistic engagement, which in turn gives voice to the broader philosophical and ethical exploration into the extent of human intervention with other living things. It involves exploration of biological technologies and issues stemming from their use; it serves as a theoretical and practical introduction to the creation of biological art and is aimed at mentoring artists in issues of biotechnology and the life sciences.

The workshop will cover hands-on engagement with some of the fundamental tool of modern biology in order to be able to carry out and critique manipulation of living systems from an informed practical perspective. The practical components include DNA extraction and fingerprinting, genetic engineering, animal tissue culture and basic tissue engineering techniques.

To apply for participation, send a CV, a short statement (no longer than one A4 page) as for why you would like to participate in the workshop and (if available) some examples of relevant work via Mail to ulla.taipale@aalto.fi till Monday 26th November 2012.

More information on Future Art Base: BiofiliA – Base for Biological Arts here.

By Nikolai Huckle

Nikolai is a BA-student in Individual Studies at the Leuphana University Lueneburg. He did a five months internship at Cultura21 in the framework of the Leuphana PLUS program. Nikolai studiert das Studium Individuale an der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg und absolvierte im Rahmen des Leuphana Plus Programms ein fünfmonatiges Praktikum bei Cultura21.