Antibiotic-Responsive Bioart

“Turning the Invisible Visible”: Transdisciplinary Bioart Explorations in Human-DNA Interaction

“…In another project, Kuznetsov et al presented an autoethnographic study of the process of transforming a university HCI lab into a BSL-1 (biosafety level 1) DIYbio facility and organizing a weeklong bioart workshop for youth [48]. During the workshop, youth created microbial art (also known as Agar Art [2]) by using creative stencil outlines as templates to transfer living microorganisms that express colors to lab plates containing a growing agent (i.e., microbial growth media hardened with agar).…”

“…Bioart (aka BioArt, bio art, and biological arts, among others) is an art practice whereby artists work with living organisms, including animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms and others, for artistic and creative purposes [7], [43], [58]. While bioart emerged in the beginning of the 20 th century, a range of factors have contributed to its prominence as a thriving art movement including advances in synthetic biology (a life science research area focused on genetic engineering, tinkering, and systems biology and concerns about its consequences [71]), recognition of bioart as a distinct contemporary art movement at prominent institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) [59] and the Ars Electronica Festival [4], and the creation of numerous DIYbio amateur communities that strive to increase "public participation in biology outside of professional laboratory settings" [48]. Hackteria-an open-source DIYbio organization with a focus on integrating science, technology, and art, provides an example of the transdisciplinary potential that can occur at these intersections [33] [54].…”

Touching and Being in Touch with the Menstruating Body

“…Thus, interaction design needs to develop processes and practices which enable us to experiment and design with these materials safely. To achieve this, we should take inspiration from emerging practices such as [46] who examine how to transition an HCI studio into a BSL-1 (biosafety level 1) facility using low-cost tools, to develop DIY bio protocols. Similarly, we can be informed by current DIY approaches to gynecology, such as [16] and seek to design methods and tools that resist institutionalized views of menstruation, allowing the conversations and knowledge production about menstrual cycles to happen also in the home.…”

Perspectives of Bioartists and Community Lab Organizers on Working with Living Organisms

“…Despite this potential, previous HCI research has yet to explore in depth the perspectives of expert bioartists, who work with living organisms as part of their creative practice, DIYbio researchers, and community lab organizers who facilitate the participation of amateur designers and artists in creative practices that involve working with living organisms and biotechnology. While there has been research on DIYbio and the promising collaborations between HCI researchers and DIYbio participants [15,[27][28][29] there has not been much exploration into the unique qualities associated with artistic practices that could be beneficial for the HCI audience. Artistic exploration is unique in its focus on cultural production and creative inquiry.…”