Maja Smerkar (SI) - Bio art and project MaSm Metatransformation

Prague - November 26, 2011

On the projects within the field of bioart with focus on living organisms

Maja Smerkar an independent intermedia artist based in Ljublana, Slovenia. She finished the studies on the Sculpture Department of Fine Art Academy in Ljubljana, but later on she started a research of space phenomenon, she went through scenography and performance mostly in theatre and merged to video and interactive video. However, during the last two years she has been developing projects within the field of bioart with focus on living organisms.

Within the biotechnological frame she talks about her most recent collaboration with slovenian molecular biologist, the project MaSm Metatransformation. By setting up the intersections of science, art and civil society poses the questions if there is a possibility, considering the consequences of potential global food deficit and drastic reduction of the value of material goods, that human molecular production capacity in the DNA, as one of the few uncolonized biotechnological materials, could become a trade tool, (based on a system of genetic credit), which could become one of the next stages of evolution. Lastly she talk about her latest research on more complex organisms, concretely about her fascination by the invasion of ladybugs during the last few months, which may have the catastrophic consequences for the ecosystem.

Tags:
• bioart
• biotechnology
• genes
• ladybugs
• living organisms
• microorganisms
• science