Opening the lab for the layman
Waag Society’s Open Wetlab focuses on life sciences and the design and ethics of life. We want to involve the industry, artists and designers, but also the political forces and the public, hands-on in the shaping of biotechnology, as well as in what biotechnology creates. We opened biotechnology for the layman in 2013; everyone is welcome to experiment in our Open Wetlab or join our hands-on Do-it-together Bio events.
Bio-art is a longer lasting theme for us. This becomes clear when we have a peek at our archives of lectures that were held at the Theatrum Anatomicum of the Waag. Most of these lectures were taped, videos until 2007 can still be found. ‘Connect’ is a somewhat outdated website but its content is still relevant: tons of lectures and performances by experts in the field of art and technology, internet and robotics.
In 2009, the series of lectures focused on bio-art. The artists Oron Catts, Adam Zaretsky and Eduardo Kac presented their work. During the artist-in-residency of Adam Zaretsky in the same year, a video archive was formed of his lectures and performances within VASTAL (VivoArts School for Transgenic Aesthetics Ltd.), still to be found at Vimeo. We offer new talent in the field of bio-art an opportunity since 2010 with the creation of the Designers & Artists for Genomics award (now Bio Art & Design award).
Connect video archive
VASTAL video archive
Open Wetlab
Designers & Artists for Genomics Award