From the Laboratory to the Studio: Interdisciplinary Practices in Bio Art
Course Description
SVA Bio Art Summer Residency Program
From anatomical studies to landscape painting to the biomorphism of surrealism, the biological realm historically provided a significant resource for numerous artists. More recently, Bio Art has become a term referring to intersecting domains of the biological sciences and their incorporation into the plastic arts. Of particular importance in Bio Art is to summon awareness of the ways in which advancing biotechnologies alter social, ethical and cultural values in society.
This interdisciplinary residency will take place in the new SVA Bio Art Laboratory located in the heart of New York City’s Chelsea gallery district. The SVA Bio Art Lab houses microscopes for photo and video, skeleton and specimen collections, a herbarium, an aquarium as well as a library.
Each student resident is awarded a private studio space. The residency culminates in a public exhibition. Visit http://bioart.sva.edu for additional information.
Demonstrations include microscopy, plant tissue engineering, molecular cuisine and the production of micro ecosystems. Students may work in any media, including the performing arts.
The residency will be led by artist Suzanne Anker, Chair of the BFA Fine Arts Department, and Joseph DeGiorgis, marine biologist. Faculty and former visiting speakers include artists, scientists and museum professionals such as Heather Dewey-Hagborg, Giovanni Frazzetto, Francois-Joseph Lapointe and Nurit Bar-Shai, among others.
NOTE: A portfolio is required for review and acceptance to this program. Early application by April 1 is highly recommended.
About Bio Art
From anatomical studies, to landscape painting, to the biomorphism of surrealism, the biological realm historically provided a significant resource for numerous artists. More recently, Bio Art has become a term referring to intersecting domains of the biological sciences and their incorporation into the plastic arts. Of particular importance in Bio Art is to summon awareness of the ways in which advancing biotechnologies alter social, ethical and cultural values in society.
Coming to the fore in the early 1990s, Bio Art is neither media-specific nor locally bounded. It is an international movement with practitioners in such regions as Europe, the U.S., Russia, Asia, Australia and the Americas. Several sub-genres of Bio Art exist within this overarching term:
- Artists who employ the iconography of the 20th- and 21st-century sciences, including molecular and cellular genetics, transgenically altered living matter, reproductive technologies and neurosciences. All traditional media, including painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing are employed to convey novel ways of representing life forms.
- Artists who utilize computer software, systems theory and simulations to investigate aspects of the biological sciences such as evolution, artificial life and robotics through digital sculpture and new media installations.
- Artists employing biological matter itself as their medium, including processes such as tissue engineering, plant breeding, transgenics and ecological reclamation.
About SVA’s Summer Residency Programs
SVA’s Summer Residencies in New York City offer artists, designers and creative thinkers time, space and a supportive community in which to develop ideas and focus on their artistic direction. In addition to our time-honored studio residencies, a variety of innovative professional immersion programs provide opportunities for artists to explore new areas of social and technological practice and engage critically within their field. A unique combination of creative and professional resources provides a rich environment for growth and opportunity in the current, vibrant art scene.
About SVA BFA Fine Arts
The SVA BFA Fine Arts Department offers concentrations in all art forms, from Painting to Bio Art. Our state-of-the-art facilities allow students to experiment in a wide variety of projects and media, such as digital and 3D printing, textiles or wood.
For further information or questions regarding SVA’s Summer Residencies
e-mail residency@sva.edu or call 212.592.2188
