When Life Becomes Art: Molecular Biology and the Arts<br>
<br>
Evening Lecture by Dr. Ingeborg Reichle<br>
(Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities)<br>
<br>
Tues. 20 July 2010 19:00 hrs.<br>
at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM), Aula, Filzengraben 2, 50676 Köln<br>
<br>
By contrasting contemporary art with recent scientific developments, it is<br>
possible to demonstrate that art today not only serves to comment on<br>
science, but also represents a form of research and knowledge production<br>
in its own right, though one belonging to a radically different<br>
epistemological tradition. Moving beyond the postulated dichotomy of the<br>
“objective” sciences and the “subjective” arts, contemporary art shows us<br>
that art is no longer limited to the production of beautiful artefacts,<br>
but has established its role as a legitimate form of knowledge production<br>
in its own right. Today the engagement of art with science ranges from<br>
artists’ iconological handling of scientific imaging to research projects<br>
executed as artistic endeavours by artists working in the laboratory. In<br>
the last two decades we have seen a number of artists leave the<br>
traditional artistic playground to work instead in scientific contexts<br>
such as the laboratories of molecular biologists. Such artistic<br>
interventions in genetics and biological forms have made possible new<br>
means of artistic expression and art forms, like ‘Transgenic Art’ and<br>
‘Bio-Art’. These new art forms differ dramatically from more traditional<br>
artistic approaches that explore the natural and additionally have<br>
developed new methodologies. More radically these new art forms have<br>
crossed the boundaries between the artificial and the natural, provoking a<br>
different understanding of ‘nature’.<br>
<br>
Dr. Ingeborg Reichle is an art historian and theorist at the<br>
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany. From 1998<br>
till 2005 she was active at the Humboldt-University in Berlin. She has<br>
done interdisciplinary studies in London and Hamburg and holds an MA in<br>
Art History from the University of Hamburg and a PhD at the Art History<br>
Department at the Humboldt-University in Berlin. Her doctoral<br>
dissertation, dealing with Art and Biotechnology in the Age of<br>
Technoscience, was published (Springer 2005, in German) 2009 at Springer<br>
in English: “Art in the Age of Technoscience. Genetic Engineering,<br>
Robotics, and Artificial Life in Contemporary Art.“ From 1998 to 2003, she<br>
lectured on gender studies and new media art at the Art History Department<br>
at the Humboldt-University and was involved in the practical application<br>
of electronics in the deployment of computers and new media in art<br>
historical works like PROMETHEUS and she was developing relevant internet<br>
resources. Since 2005 she is active as project leader of the<br>
interdisciplinary research group “Bildkulturen” at the Berlin-Brandenburg<br>
Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Berlin and lectures at the Hermann<br>
von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik at the Humboldt-University in<br>
Berlin.<br>
<br>
The evening lecture is part of the International Summer School 2010<br>
“Living Matter. Art & Research & Science Studies in Biological<br>
Laboratories” (KHM Cologne in cooperation with FU Berlin,<br>
<a href="http://www.fu-berlin.de/embodiedinformation" target="_blank">www.fu-berlin.de/embodiedinformation</a>) and funded by the Federal Ministry<br>
of Education and Research (BMBF)<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Kathrin Friedrich<br>
Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln<br>
Peter-Welter-Platz 2<br>
D-50676 Köln<br>
<br>
Tel.: 0221/20189-313<br>
<a href="mailto:kfriedrich@khm.de" target="_blank">kfriedrich@khm.de</a><br>
<a href="http://www.khm.de/" target="_blank">www.khm.de</a><br>
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