Quotes from a book chapter by Andy Miah, published in 2013.

1. Bioart.
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By Professor Andy Miah !
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http://creativefutur.es
!

2. “For over a century, science fiction has gripped the attention
of audiences and readers world-wide, with some of its most
successful achievements furnishing the world with utopian
and dystopian narratives on the progress of science and the
limit of humanity's ability to understand its own complexity
and place in the world. However, it is only in the last 40
years that ideas of transhumanism and posthumanism have
been integral to various forms of performing arts that engage
with similar subject matter. .”!
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Professor Andy Miah, Director !
!
!

3. biological medium is principally a material
device through which to explore aesthetic
qualities, after which an ethical
interpretation may or may not follow.”!
Artist Francesca Steele speaker at London 2012: The
First Transhuman Games? @CCA 24 Jan, 2011!

4. Posthuman Art!
“practices that advocate the
transformation of humanity's biology as
transhumanist, while the scrutiny of
biopolitical relationships as posthumanist,
where the crucial difference is that the
latter is more neutral on the merit of
disrupting biological continuity via
science and technology”!

5. Defining Bioart!
“One may define bioart, body art, and
biodesign as hybrid practices that have
drawn on each of these paradigms. Such
work is often made possible by collaborative
endeavour and the utilization of mixed
media, a modus operandi of the media art
genre to which many contributors in this
field are most closely associated”!

6. me artists may be seen as a somewhat satirical
que of how the media engage with science and
nology, both calling to attention the inadequacy of
forms of scientific journalism and the need for
r debate beyond newspaper headlines and
ationalized reporting”!

7. “some bioart may be seen
as a somewhat satirical
critique of how the media
engage with science and
technology, both calling to
attention the inadequacy
of some forms of scientific
journalism and the need
for wider debate beyond
newspaper headlines and
sensationalized reporting
“!
9/22/11

8. “such work is also a defiant
critique on society at large and
many artists find their
contributions subject to vehement
criticisms from the popular press
who are confounded by the
propositions, labelling them as
'sick' or a waste of 'tax payers
9/22/11

9. “many
artists reject
the term
bioart as a
coherent and
distinct body
of artistic or
performance
expression” !
9/22/11

10. “what distinguishes much
bioart is the performative
foundation of the work,
notably where the artist plays
a crucial role in its physical
manifestation, either as the
canvass of the work itself or
as the facilitator of critical
engagement with the
artwork”!

11. “There is also a broader political
interpretation to the work of many
bioartists, which is that it forces a
reconsideration of how original
knowledge should be created and
valued within society” !
9/22/11

12. and biodesign !
Also scrutinize
contemporary
bioethical issues!
and scientific
practice, such as the
utilization of
embryonic stem
cells, or the
development of
transgenic species “ !

13. “artists are beginning to
experiment with cutting
edge scientific applications,
such as stem cells, !
cosmetic surgery and
biotechnology generally –
technologies that are at the
margins of human
experience and about !
which there is considerable
controversy” !
9/22/11

14. “the work of
bioartists may be
seen as an attempt
to disrupt the
knowledge
economy, as many
such artists are not
interests simply in
their creative
means drawing on
the work of
scientists” !

15. “artists, curators and gallery managers are
part of a new kind of ethical terrain, what may
be called public bioethics “!
9/22/11

16. “the work of bioartists
may be seen as an
attempt to disrupt the
knowledge economy” !

17. “bioart aligns with transhumanism insofar as such work pursues
the disruption of biological boundaries and this encompasses
experimentation with many new scientific techniques, such as stem
cell or genetic manipulation, or even the creation of new life forms”!

18. These quotes are taken from a book
chapter by Andy Miah, due for
publication in 2013.!
@andymiah!

19. cf.
!
The Creative Futures Institute !
University of the West of Scotland!
http://creativefutur.es
!