(Auto)Immunity: The Deconstruction and Politics of ‘Bio-art’ and Criticism

Abstract

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1 For a good introduction to Bio-Art, see Eduardo Kac (ed.), Signs of Life: Bio/Art and Beyond (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2006). See also Eugene Thacker, ‘Data Made Flesh: Biotechnology and the Discourse of the Posthuman’, Cultural Critique 53 (Winter 2003), pp.72-97. Natach Vita-More, ‘Brave BioArt 2: shedding the bio, amassing the nano, nad cultivating posthuman life’, Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research 5: 3 (2007), pp.171-186. Eduardo Kac, Telepresence and bio art: networking humans, rabbitsand robots (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2005). 2 See the Critical Art Ensemble website: < http://www.critical-art.net/home.html> (accessed April 25 2010). 3 For generic criticisms around bio-art see, for example, Steve Tomasula, ‘Genetic Art and the Aesthetics of Biology’, LEONARDO, 35: 2 (2002), pp.137-144; and Mojca Puncer, ‘Artistic Research on Life Forms: Exploring the Intersections of Science, Art and Life in the Context of Globalisation’, LEONARDO, 41: 5 (2008), pp.468-477. 4 In 2008 I attended this bio-art exhibition as well as the symposium on this exhibition, which was held at the University of Illinois, Chicago. 5 Andrew Yang and Christa Donner, ‘Biological Agents’, Curators Catalogue (2008), p.1. 6 Andrew Yang and Christa Donner, ‘Biological Agents’, Curators Catalogue (2008), p.4. 7 Andrew Yang and Christa Donner, ‘Biological Agents’, Curators Catalogue (2008), p.1. 8 Jacques Derrida, ‘The Principle of Reason: The University in the Eyes of its Pupils’, Diacritics (Fall 1983), pp.3-21. 9 Jacques Derrida, ‘Autoimmunity: Real and Symbolic Suicides – A Conversation with Jacques Derrida’, Philosophy in the Time of Terror: Dialogues with Jürgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida, ed. Giovanna Borradori (Chicago and London: Chicago University Press, 2003), p.94. For other works where Derrida discusses his neologism ‘autoimmunity’ see: Jacques Derrida, ‘Faith and Knowledge: The Two Sources of “Religion” at the Limits of Reason Alone’, in Religion, eds. Jacques Derrida and Gianni Vattimo (Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1998), pp.1-78; Jacques Derrida, Rogues: Two Essays on Reason (Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2005); Jacques Derrida, Politics of Friendship, trans. George Collins (London and New York: Verso Press, 1997). 10 Caitlin Berrigan, < http://caitlinberrigan.com/> (Accessed 21/04/2010). 11 Andrew Yang and Christa Donner, ‘Biological Agents’, Curators Catalogue (2008), p.2. 12 All images of the art exhibition and artworks and installations found at the Gallery website have been photographed by Christa Donner 2008, Curator of Gallery 400, Chicago. 13 J. Hillis Miller ‘Anachronistic Reading’ in Derrida Today Vol 3, Number 1 (May 2010), pp.87-88. 14 Brandon Ballangée < http://greenmuseum.org/content/artist_content/ct_id-28_artist_id-19.html> or < http://greenmuseum.org/content/artist_ index/artist_id-19.html> (Accessed 21/04/2010) 15 To view Brandon Ballengée's stained frog skeletons, see images 5 and 6 at the Gallery 400 website: < http://www.uic.edu/aa/college/gallery400/01_exhibit-past.htm> 16 Andrew Yang and Christa Donner, ‘Biological Agents’, Curators Catalogue (2008), p.2. 17 Environmental Health Clinic: < http://www.environmentalhealthclinic.net/environmental-health-clinic/> (Accessed 21/04/2010). For more about Jeremijenko's work see: < http://www.environmentalhealthclinic.net/people/natalie-jeremijenko/ (Accessed 21/04/2010). 18 Andrew Yang and Christa Donner, ‘Biological Agents’, Curators Catalogue (2008), p.3. To view ‘Keeing TaBs’ see images 7, 8, 13, 15 and 16, at the Gallery 400 website: < http://www.uic.edu/aa/college/gallery400/01_exhibit-past.htm> 19 See images 17-24 at the Gallery 400 website: < http://www.uic.edu/aa/college/gallery400/01_exhibit-past.htm> 20 Andrew Yang and Christa Donner, ‘Biological Agents’, Curators Catalogue (2008), p.4. 21 Project Biocultures: < http://ww