The field of BioArt has resulted in many diverse and valuable contributions to culture and science. Part of its value can be found in its tendencies towards muddying distinctions between science and art and problematising the normative limits of scientific progress. This provocation, of course, also means societal responses to scientific progress can be challenging, sometimes resulting in widespread backlashes. Callum will present three different works from his practice, all of which explore this relationship between scientific progress and the public reaction through different vectors. Firstly, his work, Pandora’s Box, asks who and what should be in charge of the future gene pool which is soon to be shaped by advancements in genetic engineering and CRISPR-Cas9. Secondly, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing explores the ramifications of scientific research being amplified and misrepresented by marketers and science communicators. Finally, Viral Load presents a humorous yet cautionary provocation surrounding public tensions and conspiracies about the SARS-COV-2 mRNA vaccine. Underpinning each of the works is a strong understanding of different bio and nanotechnologies, the construction of each work and the poetics of the materiality will be explained in detail. In the spirit of interdisciplinary research, Paul will conclude the lecture by outlining Ontological Security Theory, a sociological framework for understanding the potentially negative reactions that scientists at the forefront of their fields can sometimes face. By offering this framework, Paul and Callum will hope to provide a nuanced understanding of the relationship between science and culture.

Bio

Callum J Siegmund is a bio/nano artist who uses DNA nanotechnology to create Nanosculptures, double helices interwoven into imperceptible 3D objects whose form and sequence are embued with poetics. Having developed this practice during an extended SymbioticA residency (June 2020-Dec 2022), Callum's highly technical works explore the materiality of the immaterial, the absurdity of biotechnology, and the cultural ramifications of scientific advancement.

Paul Sutherland is a PhD researcher at the School of Media, Creative Arts, and Social Inquiry at Curtin University. Paul's PhD research investigates the aesthetic and ideological vectors of the post-truth era.' Paul has lectured on online extremism, digital subjectivity, and media art practices, and has published writing for Do Not Research and the Institute of Network Cultures. His broader theoretical interests include phenomenology, affect theory, and media theory.