How artists perceive perspectives of a world where differences between codes and genes, technologies and biology dissolve? What new forms of life and art are emerging today? Up to what will lead the symbiosis of the organic and the anorganic worlds and the interconnection of globalization, evolutionary and technological processes?
TransGenesis is an art festival running as a part of the annual "Week of Science and Technology" held by the Czech Academy of Sciences. The main topic of the sixth "Week" running this year from 6th to 12th Novemeber are biotechnologies. The Transgenesis festival will thus present, for the very first time in Prague the artworks of world-famous artists, who either find their inspiration in genetics or who are directly using biotechnologies for their artistic creation. The programme includes exhibitions, screenings, lectures and presentations that will take place at different sites in Prague, but mostly at the main building of the Czech Academy of Sciences at Narodni trida (from 7th till 10th Nov.) and at the C2C Gallery (from the 1st till 12th Nov.), which focuses its attention on a wide range of contemporary art and presents mainly projects somehow related to contemporary science and technologies. During the festival there will be presented contemporary art projects that reflect biotechnologies and explore the borders between the "natural" and the "artificial". Transgenesis is a cluster of cultural events with aim to connect the heterogeneous "genes" of artistic and scientific creativity. The programme of Transgenesis will feature international exhibition of artists using and/or reflecting upon biotechnology, a series of artistic presentations, screenings and last but not least a round table bringing together artists and scientists in a truly interdisciplinary dialogue.
To show the close relation between scientific and artistic creativity.
To popularize new technologies and scientific discoveries.
To open the discussion on the relationship between biotechnologies and art.
Artistic experiments with biotechnologies can be divided into two groups, reflecting the type of their use of biotechnologies - they either only reflect on them or work with them directly. The first group comprises various visualizations, simulations and aesthetizations of scientific depicting and other representations of biological entities and processes (mainly those regarding DNA). The second form of artistic work is defined by direct use of live systems, in which the biological material serves as a medium of artistic expression. Within this type we can distinguish different forms and strategies of artistic creation:
MutagenicArt (TeratogenicArt) - art based on manipulating the morphogenetic process.
TransgenicArt - art connecting heterogenous genes to create hybrids.
TissueArt - art manipulating tissues into a form of sculptures or other objects.
CyborgArt - art interconnecting organic and anorganic entities into the form of cyborgs.
