Symbiotica
Encyclopedia
SymbioticA is an artistic laboratory dedicated to the research, learning and critique of life sciences
. Located within the School of Anatomy and Human Biology at The University of Western Australia
, it is the first research laboratory of its kind, in that it enables artists to engage in wet biology practices in a biological science department.
SymbioticA provides a situation where interdisciplinary research and other knowledge and concept generating activities take place. Opportunities are presented to researcher
s to pursue curiosity-based explorations free of the demands and constraints associated with the current culture of scientific research, while still complying with regulations. SymbioticA offers a new means of artistic inquiry, one in which artist
s actively use the tools and technologies of science, not just to comment about them, but also to explore their possibilities.
As a mark of international recognition of its activities, SymbioticA was awarded the inaugural Golden Nica for Hybrid Arts in the Prix Ars Electronica
. An international jury chose SymbioticA from more than 400 entrants as the organisation that epitomised a space that transgresses boundaries and disciplines, describing it as an artistic laboratory dedicated to the research, learning and critique of life sciences.
since 1996. The shared vision of Grounds, Bunt and Catts for a permanent space for artists to engage with science in various capacities led to the building of the artists’ studio/lab on the second floor of the School of Anatomy and Human Biology at The University of Western Australia.
Life sciences
The life sciences comprise the fields of science that involve the scientific study of living organisms, like plants, animals, and human beings. While biology remains the centerpiece of the life sciences, technological advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have led to a burgeoning of...
. Located within the School of Anatomy and Human Biology at The University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
, it is the first research laboratory of its kind, in that it enables artists to engage in wet biology practices in a biological science department.
SymbioticA provides a situation where interdisciplinary research and other knowledge and concept generating activities take place. Opportunities are presented to researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
s to pursue curiosity-based explorations free of the demands and constraints associated with the current culture of scientific research, while still complying with regulations. SymbioticA offers a new means of artistic inquiry, one in which artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s actively use the tools and technologies of science, not just to comment about them, but also to explore their possibilities.
As a mark of international recognition of its activities, SymbioticA was awarded the inaugural Golden Nica for Hybrid Arts in the Prix Ars Electronica
Prix Ars Electronica
The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the most important yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music...
. An international jury chose SymbioticA from more than 400 entrants as the organisation that epitomised a space that transgresses boundaries and disciplines, describing it as an artistic laboratory dedicated to the research, learning and critique of life sciences.
Activities
SymbioticA hosts residents; runs workshops, Masters and Undergraduate units; produces exhibitions; and organises talks and conferences.History
SymbioticA was established in 2000 by cell biologist Professor Miranda Grounds, neuroscientist Professor Stuart Bunt and artist Oron Catts. Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr from the Tissue Culture and Art Project (TC&A) had been working as artists/researchers in residence in the School of Anatomy and Human Biology and the Lions Eye InstituteLions Eye Institute
The Lions Eye Institute in Perth, Western Australia, is the largest eye research institute in the southern hemisphere. It is a limited liability company, with not-for-profit and tax-exempt gift recipient status, overseen by a Board of Directors...
since 1996. The shared vision of Grounds, Bunt and Catts for a permanent space for artists to engage with science in various capacities led to the building of the artists’ studio/lab on the second floor of the School of Anatomy and Human Biology at The University of Western Australia.