Growing Artwork in a Petri Dish?
Most people think of science when they imagine growing cells or bacteria in a petri dish. But an increasing number of artists are using biotechnologies to grow living biological artworks.
Dr. Jennifer Willet, Canada Research Chair in Art, Science and Ecology, is a leading artist and researcher in the field of bioart. Bioart is a contemporary art form that uses biological media—such as living cells, bacteria and plants—rather than paint or clay to create art.
Willet’s focus is on creative biotech research and teaching biotech skills to the next generation of artists interested in science and technology. Her artworks also promote critical thinking and science and technology literacy in general.
She has worked in laboratories all over the world researching tissue culture, microbiology, and molecular biology from an arts perspective, with an emphasis on subjective experience and bioethics. Her research has resulted in artworks like “The Great Lakes Algae Organ”—a bicycle-pulled street organ that grows and displays a large algae colony and plays organ music—and “Windsor Yeast,” where live yeast colonies sampled from the City of Windsor post-industrial ecology are grown in petri dishes over photographs of the city.
Ultimately, Willet’s goal is to encourage non-specialists and researchers across disciplines to work with scientists, industry and policy-makers in co-determining our shared biotech future.