Living Designs: How Synthetic Biology is transforming Bioart and Architecture
Article written for ValleyDAO
The history of bio-art with genetic manipulation started earlier than most people think. One of the first widely recognized pieces of art that genetically manipulated living matter was Edward Steichen's "Delphiniums". Edward Steichen, a famous American photographer, showed large delphinium blooms at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 1936. The flowers, which resulted from 26 years of cross-breeding and selection by Steichen, were described as "breathtaking".
Exhibition display of 'Edward Steichen’s Delphiniums' at MoMA, NY, from June 24, 1936, to July 1, 1936.
As genetic manipulation techniques improved in the 1990s, artists started to use them to create more bio art pieces. Marta de Menezes used micromanipulation to pattern butterfly wings, showcasing the intersection of nature and human influence. Artists like Joe Davis, David Kremers, Kac, Al Wunderlich, and Marc Quinn utilized recombinant bacteria to create visual art in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The activist art group Critical Arts Ensemble and Beatriz da Costa also contributed to this movement, further blending the lines between art, science, and societal commentary.
Art Challenging Synthetic Biology
Many artists aim to provoke thought and debate among scientists and the public on contentious topics, and synthetic biology is no exception. Orkan Telhan dedicated a year to exploring the potential impacts of climate change on future food consumption, particularly challenging perceptions of lab-grown meat. He conceptualised the "Ouroboros Steak," circular steaks cultivated from human cells. Displaying these in front of a mirror, Telhan intended for viewers to reflect on environmental accountability and critique the "clean-meat" industry, which often markets itself as offering "kill-free" alternatives. Despite marketing itself as kill-free, most companies depend heavily on fetal bovine serum, which is extracted during the slaughter of pregnant cows, for cell cultivation. "Our project [Ouroboros Steak] offers a ridiculous solution to a grave issue," noted Andrew Pelling, a biophysicist who collaborated with Telhan and industrial designer Grace Knight. "However, in our model, the consumer consents by using their own cells. In contrast, the lab-grown meat industry typically uses animal cells without their consent." The project stirred significant controversy and even led to calls for its elimination.
Another controversial project was Oron Catts's provocative project, "Victimless Leather Jacket," which delved into the future possibilities of biologically engineered materials. This installation featured a jacket crafted from human and mouse stem cells, housed within a glass bioreactor and sustained by a serum derived from the heart of an embryonic calf. The jacket was a living entity, continuously growing as it was fed nutrients, eventually becoming so large that it clogged the bioreactor. In response, curators at the exhibition were forced to cut off the nutrient supply, effectively ending the life of the piece. This artwork aimed to critique the secretive nature of some scientific research and challenge the ethics of manipulating biology.
Victimless Leather piece by Oron Catts
In conjunction with his artistic endeavours, Catts also established SymbioticA, an innovative lab at the University of Western Australia that integrates art with biological sciences. This platform encourages artists and scientists to collaborate and explore the implications of biotechnology, further blurring the lines between art, ethics, and emerging scientific practices.
Art helps explore the ethical debates around synthetic biology, and cultivated meat has been one of them. But art also helps with reimagining how these technologies interact with other fields to address global challenges. Synthetic biology has the possibility of helping the carbon footprint of households, from bio-concrete to biophotovoltaics.
Green Architecture: Integrating Synthetic Biology in the build environment
Biomimicry is a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges. Many companies are applying biomimicry principles to develop more eco-friendly products to address global challenges. One example is EcoLogicStudio, a London-based start-up that developed a ‘living curtain’ with photosynthetic bacteria to help remove city air pollution. The project is called Photo.Synth.Etica and consists of micro-algae in a curtain that converts carbon dioxide to oxygen through the natural process of photosynthesis. The prototype, installed in 2018 at the Printworks building at Dublin Castle, is made of 16 bioplastic modules, and the algae are bioluminescent to show a faint glow at night.
Another example is Tattva, a project part of the Bio-Integrated Design Lab at University College London, that aims to develop a carbon-negative living material from cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria absorb carbon dioxide to form minerals with the strength of bricks and very high thermal insulation. The material's unique appearance gives it a striking, almost surreal look, which could be used as an architectural element in buildings.
Biohm is another company in London that uses biomimicry to make materials from mycelium grown on food and agricultural waste while sequestering carbon dioxide.
Their product, Orb, has been used to make design pieces from food and agricultural waste. This product can replace MDF, OSB, plasterboard, and gypsum board for dry lining. The company’s product, Triagomy, also made from mycelium, aims to eliminate demolition and make extensions, downsizing, relocation, recycling, and reuse much easier in the construction industry. According to the company, life cycle assessments comparing Triagomy with brick and block construction methods show reductions of up to 120% in a building’s environmental impact, up to 70% in costs, and around 95% in build times. Their panels have a natural and neutral appearance that could also be used on the facade of buildings as a decorative element besides insulation.
The intersection of art and synthetic biology challenges traditional viewpoints and ethical boundaries and paves the way for innovative applications in architecture, for example. Through projects that critique the ethics of biotechnology and those that integrate living systems into building materials, artists and scientists together are reshaping how we think about sustainability and our interaction with technology. By harnessing the power of synthetic biology to absorb carbon dioxide, these creative collaborations are not just making theoretical statements—they are actively contributing to developing environmentally responsive and sustainable solutions. This fusion of art, science, and architecture could lead us to redefine our environmental footprint and cultural landscape.
