Body Nature - Marta De Menezes

"During the last thousands of years humankind has tried to manipulate Nature. Today’s dogs, cats, horses, and crops are evidence of what has been achieved by artificial selection. In the last 50 years significant scientific advances have been made, allowing the modification of life in an extremely controlled way. Biotechnology was born to explore these new tools for the benefit of humankind. However, the remarkable tools of modern biology are seen with hope and fear, simultaneously. It is becoming possible to develop new therapies for uncurable diseases, but at the same time the public fears misuse of this powerful technology. As society becomes aware of biotechnology, with all its hopes and fears, artists have started to include references to biotechnology in their works. Furthermore, modern biology and biotechnology offer the opportunity to create art using biology as new media. We are witnessing the birth of a new form of art: art created in test-tubes, using laboratories as art studios.

My work has been focused on the possibilities that modern biology offers to artists. I have been trying not only to portrait the recent advances of biological sciences, but to incorporate biological material as new art media: DNA, proteins and cells offer an opportunity to explore novel ways of representation and communication. Consequently, although lacking formal scientific training, my recent artistic activity has been conducted in research laboratories."


via
http://www.martademenezes.com/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39u63brKqgs