How does BioArt explore living systems, future technologies, and ethical questions?

"BioArt extends beyond just working with animals, plants, or microorganisms and encompasses a wide range of artistic practices that engage with the living world. Artists work with animal husbandry, the consequences of climate change, or the notion of empathy towards other-than-human life forms. They might also engage in developing new biomaterials derived from living organisms like fungi, bacteria, algae, and plants to create sculptures, textiles, and other artworks. Another important strand is ‘speculative BioArt’, which uses speculative designs to imagine future biological technologies and their societal implications through conceptual artworks. By working with subjects like synthetic biology, tissue culture, and cloning, BioArtists raise questions about the ethical, social, and philosophical implications of these advancements. From its origin in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, BioArt is often intended to highlight themes connected with biological subjects that address or question philosophical notions or trends in science, and can be shocking or humorous at times. Notable bioartists include Eduardo Kac—who created the fluorescent ‘GFP bunny’, Alba—and Stelarc, who is known for his body-altering © 2025 Compost Collective, CC BY-NC 4.0 https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0449.09"