Art and Science talk with C-LAB and Rüdiger Trojok

24 August, 3 PM

CLAB, The Living Mirror, 2013

Art Laboratory Berlin would like to invite you to an artist talk with the artist collective C-LAB (UK) and the biohacker Rüdiger Trojok (Berlin) presented by Desiree Förster and Daniela Silvestrin on 24 August from 3 PM.

C-LAB is a London based artist collective, founded by the two artists and scientists Laura Cinti and Howard Boland, that is dealing critically with contemporary intersections and cross-fertilisation of art, science, and technology. The work of Cinti and Boland focuses on the examination and exploration of the implications, properties and peculiarities of all which is or regards organic and synthetic life. This being their incentive, they want to create a platform that is open for both artistic and scientific reflection and discourse. In their most recent experimental art projects, C-LAB developed a variety of genetic constructs that led to new kinds of behavior of e.coli bacteria; the scientists thereby explored the possibilities of synthetic biology and techniques of genetic engineering in an art context (e.g. in artworks such as kate, katEred, Stressostat or Banana Bacteria).

C-LAB, katEred, 2012

Also the DIY scene has started to experiment with biology on a molecular level in private homes. The technologies and chemicals that they use are usually being acquired through the internet, just like the theoretical background knowledge and the working instructions. This growing community meets in online forums or festivals, and is connected worldwide. The movement is creating both fascination and discomfort, the potential misuse of modern biotechnologies is creating fears in times of repeated warnings of pandemics through viruses such as SARS or H5N1. At the same time this democratization of technologies and knowledge can lead to new impulses for the sciences as well as enhance public debate and consciousness.

After the peek into C-LAB's art practice the Berlin-based biohacker Rüdiger Trojok will give a presentation of the do-it-yourself biohacking scene and the possibilities and limits of bringing biotechnologies into private spaces.

In a following discussion round these different perspectives and areas of knowledge will be combined and confronted, which will give the possibility for exchange, discussion and imagination with regard to the ethical and aesthetic examination of art on the intersection with science and research.

C-LAB: http://c-lab.co.uk/home.html
Rüdiger Trojok: http://www.openbioprojects.net/1801.html

Howard Boland, C-LAB

Rüdiger Trojok

Magnetic Bacteria, C-LAB