The Economics of Evolution: The Perfect Pigeon
Three art projects that received a Bio Art & Design Award from NWO in May are being exhibited from 28 November 2014 to 22 February 2015 in Kunstruimte MU in Eindhoven. The subjects are: intervening in evolution by creating the perfect pigeon, growing food from toxic waste, and the creation of new habitats for living creatures in the North Sea. The BAD Award is a competition that wants to close the gap between (bio) art and science. Besides the three BAD winners, six other projects in the area of bio art our being presented and a debate will be held.
Vici laureate Jan Komdeur from the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies at the University of Groningen together with Studio PSK from London is exhibiting ‘The Economics of Evolution: The Perfect Pigeon’. This is a fictive future scenario in which genetically modified carrier pigeons are used for the secure transfer of costly biotechnological information.
In their ‘Fungi Mutarium’, the Department of Microbiology at Utrecht University in collaboration with artists Julia Kaisinger and Katharina Unger from Vienna are producing food from plastic and toxic waste with the help of fungi.
Researcher Klaas Timmermans, Project leader of the NIOZ Seaweed Centre together with the artist Špela Petrič created an artificial biotope in ‘Naval Gazing’. This is carried by wind and currents while a range of microorganisms attach themselves to it. This ‘habiton’ is the first step towards the cultivation of the North Sea.
The exhibition will open on Friday 28 November at 20.00 hours. Besides the three BAD
winners, six other projects in the area of bio-art will be presented
About the Bio Art and Design Award
The Bio Art & Design Award 2014 is an encouragement for young artists and designers to explore the boundaries of art and science in collaboration with life scientists. The BAD Award is an initiative of NWO and ZonMw (Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development), Eindhoven University of Technology, Waag Society, kunstruimte MU and BioArt Laboratories in Eindhoven
For more information and interview appointments with one of the winners, please contact:
MU, +31 (0)40 2961663 or press@mu.nl
Ask for Misha Hofman or Angelique Spaninks
