[spectre] TrustMe, I'am An Artist-Final Event

[Annick2]

Dear Spectrite,

The whole Trust Me, I'm an Artist team will be happy to 
welcome you at the Waag Society in Amsterdam on November 
16th a 17th for the final event in this series with an 
ethics panel performance with Maja Smrekar and a symposium.

The detailed programme is available at:
https://waag.org/en/event/trust-me-im-artist-symposium-and-performance-maja-smrekar


Can the arts play a role in understanding the ethical issues 
arrising from new (bio)technologies? Can ethics be an 
artform or should art making require ethical approval? 
"Trust me, I'm an Artist" investigates the new ethical 
issues arising from art and science collaboration and 
considers the roles and responsibilities of the artists, 
scientists and institutions involved.

The final symposium of the Trust me, I’m an artist project 
will take place in Amterdam on 17th November 2017, building 
on previous events in Amsterdam, Brighton, Copenhagen, 
London, Berlin, Dublin, Ljubljana, Paris, Prague and Riga. 
Artworks that explored issues such as gene editing and 
antibiotic resistance, humanity’s radioactive heritage, 
self-experimentation, human tissue culture and sculpture, 
interspecies communication, biocontainment and 
responsibility,  the microbiome, and synthetic biology were 
presented and debated in public ethics panels in a series of 
performative events (before a live audiences). Specially 
selected artists proposed ethically complex artworks to 
specially formed ethics committee (following the rules and 
procedures typical for the host country), the ethics 
committee then debated the proposals and came to a decision, 
the artist was then be informed of the ethics committee’s 
decision and, alongside the audience, they entered into a 
discussion about the result.

This final symposium will address key questions arising from 
the project such as: “What can science and ethics learn from 
the Trust me, I’m an artist project?” “Can ethics become an 
artistic practice?” Can Trust me, I’m an artist lead to the 
reframing of research questions?” Should art and culture 
organisations require ethical approval; do we need ethical 
institutions?”

Artists, ethicists, scientists and representatives of the 
institutions involved in the “Trust Me, I’m an Artist” 
series will present their reflections and visions.

To prepare us for the final symposium, on the evening of 
16th November we will host a new”Trust me, I’m an artist” 
ethics panel event reflecting on the art work K9 Topology of 
the award winning Slovenian artist Maja Smrekar. Smrekar 
researched the co-evolution of humans and dogs, taking the 
measure to place their cell materials in an equal 
cohabitating relationship.


The “Trust me, I’m an artist” a is project supported by the 
Creative Europe programme of the Europen Commission 
coordinated by Waag Society with partners Art Catalyst, 
Kapelica Gallery, Medical Museion and communication partner 
Leonardo-Olats. Lead artist is Anna Dumitriu and lead 
ethicist is Prof. Bobbie Farsides.

When:
Thursday, 2017, November 16 - 7:00pm to Friday, 2017, 
November 17 - 5:00pm
Where:
Waag Society, Nieuwmarkt 4, 1012 CR Amsterdam

All the Best
Annick