Blog 7: Scientific Visual Culture

The goal of each of the “artists” from the Critical Art Ensemble website seems be to generate dialogue about the subject they are discussing. Some of the artists go so far as to create a “cult” as the “Cult of the New Eve” does. They “worship” the New Eve by parodying text from the Bible, using the same font and graphics as medieval versions of the Bible did, etc. They even manipulate actual pictures from the Renaissance and other art periods in order to insert people with their cult’s garb (red cloaks and dark glasses) as seen in this picture:


Flesh Projet by BioCom seems to support biotechnology as it discusses biotechnology as a means to grow new organs and tissues. It also talks about discovering the secrets of the code that programs the DNA – the proteins A, C, T, and G. “This recombinant DNA is essential for the redesign of the body for specific, goal-oriented tasks that better complement its interface with technology within the real space of production. Human characteristics must also be rationally designed and engineered in order to eliminate body functions and psychological characteristics that refuse ideological inscription.” (http://www.critical-art.net/biotech/biocom/biocomWeb/dnatest.html)

While most of the projects seem to have a definite opinion on whether biotechnology is ethical or whether it should be pursued, it seems like that message matters less than the result of getting people to discuss whether it is or not. They just want to bring it into public attention.

Biotechnology and deciphering the human DNA relates to scientific visual culture as we discussed in class because by discovering which parts of the DNA modify our phenotypic traits. These traits include eye color, height, skin color, or the shape of your nose. By completely understanding DNA and genetics, scientists will also be able to decide whether people are defined by “nature” or “nurture.” With this technology, it will also allow us to project what future generations will look like as cultures become more connected and overlapping. In other words, as the world becomes more of a monoculture and interbreeds, scientists will be able to forecast what affects it will have on humans. If scientists know exactly how the DNA correlates to all aspects of the body, they will be able to predict whether an unborn baby will have learning disabilities or exceptional athletic ability. Scientists will be able to catalogue traits before they have been developed as opposed to after they were developed as Eadweard Muybridge found with his Motion Studies in the 1880s.