The Bio-art Awards: The real goal of bio-art according to today’s bio-art competitions

In the last thirty years there have been increasing collaborations between artists and scientists and the reasons for this are complex and varied. Although the interaction is mostly promoted as a positive and promising activity, there is also a lot of skepticism about the equality between the two sectors. There is a general problem that collaborations may become muddled by different disciplinary understandings. Therefore there seems to be a distinction between bio-art that attempts to challenge the oppressive and exploitative practices that shape the world and bio-art that functions as a form of science- advertisement. Considering these means we should pay attention to the ways in which the arts-science linkage works within our society. This study examines this distinction by focusing on the goal of bio-art according to today’s biggest bio-art competitions: The Bio Art & Design award, the Wellcome Trust arts award, the VIDA Artificial Life International Awards and the FASEB BioArt...Show moreIn the last thirty years there have been increasing collaborations between artists and scientists and the reasons for this are complex and varied. Although the interaction is mostly promoted as a positive and promising activity, there is also a lot of skepticism about the equality between the two sectors. There is a general problem that collaborations may become muddled by different disciplinary understandings. Therefore there seems to be a distinction between bio-art that attempts to challenge the oppressive and exploitative practices that shape the world and bio-art that functions as a form of science- advertisement. Considering these means we should pay attention to the ways in which the arts-science linkage works within our society. This study examines this distinction by focusing on the goal of bio-art according to today’s biggest bio-art competitions: The Bio Art & Design award, the Wellcome Trust arts award, the VIDA Artificial Life International Awards and the FASEB BioArt competition. By comparing their histories, their claimed intentions and their results, this study aims to create a complete overview of the competitions and the role they are playing in the world of bio-art and its development. It shows us if these competitions stimulate bio-art as being a form of advertisement or a form of critical art, which will hopefully bring us a bit closer to answering the more general question; what do we expect from the collaboration between art and science and why is it necessary?Show less

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The Bio-art Awards: The real goal of bio-art according to today’s bio-art competitions