Bioart in the Age of Terrorism
Thursday, May 29, 2008, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
This collaboration with Eyebeam Art & Technology Center was a provocative and timely exploration of controversial questions about the use of bio-materials as a medium for artistic expression.
Moderated by Carl Zimmer, the program used the case of Steven Kurtz, a bio artist accused of illegally obtaining bio-medical materials, as a springboard for discussion about the ethics of scientific and creative research. Featured in addition to Kurtz, bioethicist George Annas and author Eugene Thacker.
Participants:
George Annas is the author or editor of seventeen books on health law and bioethics and is cofounder of Global Lawyers and Physicians, an organization that promotes human rights and health. He is the Edward R. Utley Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights of Boston University School of Public Health.
Steven Kurtz is co-founder of the multi award-winning art and theater collective, Critical Art Ensemble, an organization that performs and exhibits art about information, communications, and bio-technologies. He is also a Professor of Visual Studies at SUNY at Buffalo.
Eugene Thacker is the author of several books and articles that combine philosophy, science and technology, including: Biomedia, The Global Genome, and The Exploit: A Theory of Networks which he co-authored with Alexander Galloway. He has collaborated with art collectives Biotech Hobbyist and the Radical Software Group.
Award-winning science writer Carl Zimmer explores the frontiers of biology in his writing. His work appears regularly in The New York Times and many magazines, and he is the author of seven books, including, most recently, The Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution. 
