A research project, group show and lectures/debates on cloning, in which artists and scientists collaborate.

1 September 2005 - 15 October 2005 Retort project space Amsterdam

Cloning is a topic that appeals to the imagination, raises ethical questions and forces us to think about the future. This project is emphasising the special relation between art, science (mainly the terrain of genomics: the large-scale research on heredity and genes, including cloning) and technology.
Artists who work with themes related to genomics contribute to the public debate and analyses of scientific knowledge in an uncommon way. Art has the ability to criticise genomics experiments and their results, visualise them and make genomics accessible for a broad public, without stereotyping. In many cases it is also about visualising a reality that is inconceivable with the naked eye (DNA, nano-particles), for which there is a great need from within science. Artists and scientists are closer related in their daily practice then assumed: both are working with research, hypotheses, a search for truth and both are familiar with the ‘eureka’ moment. When artists are interested in the results, methods and applications of genetic research, and scientists in the possibilities of imagination, then there is a basis for cooperation, reflection and cross fertilisation.

Scientists are bound by theory and the public is often guided by emotions when thinking about the future of cloning, while an artwork is more independent, doesn’t have to be ‘true’ and is not judged in these terms. This provides an appealing freedom to explore future scenarios.

The next topics are initiatives for projects within the research, a kind of baggage:
1. Beauty and the tragic (certain abnormalities will no longer have to exist in the future, the concepts of ugly, unwanted and deformity will change) (read more)
2. Who is my father? Who is my mother? (what is the meaning of family, upbringing and how will sexual manners change when sperm is redundant and eggcells cleaned out before use) (read more)
3. Am I my twin? (why are we fascinated by our mirror image and at the same time afraid) (read more)
4. Art as knowledge (another approach for cooperation between artists and scientists, not merely using the arts for their ability to visualise, but to see the benefits of a more holistic or alchemist's approach which is not appropriate within science but still allowed and practised in the arts.) (read more)

Besides a group exhibition there was an installation in the entire project space, which evolved during the six weeks, with input and change of the participating artists and scientists. Based on preparatory meetings and received proposals a programme was formulated in which the artists and scientists engaged temporary cooperative projects. These projects were accessible to the public at all times. By mediation of The Arts and Genomics Centre and GeNeYouS specific scientists were invited to reflect on these projects, so they were involved on more than just the level of lecturing.
On weekdays the project space functioned as an open studio, where people were working while public is allowed to watch and respond. On the weekends there were more explicit public activitities, including a lecture programme, which also contains discussion and debate. A part of the project space was set up as an exhibition, as a starting point for the public to engage with the whole project.

context

Why does science need creation of images and exploration of future scenarios? Is this not the terrain of ethicists and philosophers, thus already taken care of within science?

Developments within science like globalisation, expanding economic interest in the natural sciences and technology and the enormous complexity and scale of research has necessitated a discussion on bio-ethics. This has caused the gap between the natural sciences and philosophers of science/ethicists to grow. New specialisations are being created on the frontiers of science, technology, culture, ethics and philosophy.
The need for ethics on matters like cloning, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology is urgent. Both for science (individual scientists have to morally support their work, even though they are only a cog in the machine) and for society (the introduction of new technologies might require new ethics).
The new developments in ethics is related to speculation about the future. Images have an important role in this, just like metaphors in language. The impact of science fiction underlines this point. Public debate about cloning is usually combined with warnings about Brave New World or Boys from Brazil (books you don’t even have to have read in order to know they predict little good). Given this impact it is likely that scientists and artists might need each other in visualising the future.