BioArt

mycelium,
mushroom
bacteria growing on lunar soil
generated by DallE2

BIOART WORKSHOP
15-19 March 2023
Singapore Art Museum


Synthetic Biology + Art


Concept

Intimacy with Nature explores our socio ecological system, as well as how human civilisation affects and changes biodiversity and climate. What role does biotechnology and life sciences play in protecting and restoring nature that has been lost or creating future nature?


Background


Futuristic Research Cluster (FREAK Lab) is an anti-disciplinary research cluster that explores the symbiotic relationship between human, art and technology. Convened by project leader Henry Tan during their time in-residence, FREAK Lab aims to develop a research framework for Intimacy with Nature, a nomadic research and production platform that is interested in how human activity affects socio-ecological systems such as biological diversity and climate. Intimacy with Nature will examine bio-aesthetics and the intersections between art, ecology, biology and nature to answer the following question: how do new innovations in biotechnology protect the natural world, restore what has been lost, or devise new futures?

FREAK Lab prototypes and researches, whilst leveraging on art and installations, to reimagine possible realities. The interdisciplinary FREAK community brings scholars, experts, artists, and technicians together to transform ideas of the future into practical, feasible applications. It aims to travel across continents to find new encounters in different natural environments. Its first iteration was held in Thailand and will now unfold in a new phase in Singapore.

As part of SAM Residencies, EX-SITU resident collective FREAKLAB will host another iteration of Intimacy with Nature, a 5-day workshop focusing on bio-art. This workshop will comprise of lectures, hands-on seminars and off-site tours. 

We join force with Global Community Bio Summit and share principle which is to fundamentally transform life sciences & democratize biotechnology to inspire creativity and improve lives by organizing life science change-makers and bio enthusiasts to build an inclusive global network, cultivate an accessible commons of knowledge and resources, launch community labs and projects, and enable local educators.

PHASE 2 : BIO ART WORKSHOP


Date:
15 – 19 March 2023

Supporter

Speakers

Hideo Iwasaki

Biologist/Artist
Director: metaPhorest

Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Waseda University

Regine Rapp

Art Historian and curator
Co-director of Art Laboratory Berlin

Pakpoom Subsoontorn

Bioengineer, Professor Department of Medical Science, Naresuan University
Co-organizer

Georg Tremmel

Artist
Director: Bioclub Tokyo
metaPhorest
Co-organizer

Adeline Seah

Biologist
ecosystem builder
molecular biologist
Co-organizer

Saad Chinoy

Edible Maker Space
Spudnik Lab

Thanakrit Wongsatit

Undergrad, Kaist, Korea
Biologist
Co-organizer

Waritsara Panya

Biologist
Subsoontorn Laboratory
Co-organizer

Tan Ding Jie (DJ)

Co-Founder & CTO, Prefer

Bingyu Cai

Ground-up Initiative

Michelle Tan

Foodie Forager
Urban Jungle Folks

Aditya Aryandi

Biologist
Co-organizer

Ngiam Li Yi

Artist
Co-organizer

Henry Tan

Artist
Freaklab
metaPhorest
Henryandpartners
Co-organizer

Din Chan

Artist
Co-organizer

Wave Pongruengkiat

Artist
Co-organizer

Elaine Regina

Post-Discplinary Designer
Foldscope

Chin Yi Loh

Product Specialist (Cosmetics) | Business Development | R&D
Allozyme

Shirley Ong

Business Development Associate
Allozyme

Aulia Reski Widyaningrum

Co-Founder Synbio.ID & Laboratory Analyst

Program

Day 1: 15 March 2023 (Wednesday)
3rd floor
@Singapore Art Museum Tanjong Pagar
10.00 Open Plenary
Henry Tan 
Pakpoom Subsoontorn
10.30 Hello World
11.00 DNA Storage, and How to Genetic Engineer Everything
Pakpoom Subsoontorn
13.00 Biosafety
Hideo Iwasaki 
13.30 Hideo Iwasaki
14.30 Regine Rapp (Art Laboratory Berlin)
15.30 Georg Tremmel 
16.30 Foldscope by Elaine Regina
Day 2: 16th March 2023 (Thursday) – COLOUR & SMELL
9.30 – 11.00 Visit: Botanic Gardens Tour by Urban Jungle Folks and Juan herbal cuisine
meeting point: Napier MRT station exit 1
(bring water, walking shoes, umbrella/hat)
limited to total 30 participants for 2 group
Afternoon session location: 3rd floor Singapore Art Museum Tanjong Pagar
13.00 – 14.00 Molecular Soundtrack: Designing Proteins with IU’s Song Titles by Thanakrit
(bring laptop or tablet or mobile devices)
14.15 – 14.30 Lab Protocol for Cyanobacteria Hideo Iwasaki 
14.40 – 18.00 Wetlab Workshop: DNA Extraction, Gel Loading, PCR, Foldscope, Agrobacterium
Peilin, Pakpoom, Aditya, Georg, Wave, Din
19.00 – 20.30 Forum: The Ethics of BioArt
Hideo Iwasaki, Regine Rapp, Georg Tremmel
Moderator: Pakpoom Subsoontorn, Shawn Chua
Day 3: 17th March 2023 (Friday) – SYNBIO INDUSTRY
10.00 – 12.00 Visit: Allozyme ( limited to selected 12 participants )
Location: Allozyme 3 Biopolis Dr, #05-19, Singapore 138623
https://goo.gl/maps/uuepSRGWXdCKLsWD8
Afternoon session location: 3rd floor Singapore Art Museum Tanjong Pagar
13.00 – 14.00 Alternative Coffee (TBC)
Tan Ding Jie 
14.00 – 15.00 Synbio.id (TBC)
15.00 – 16.00 Talk and Workshop: SynBio and Cosmetics (TBC)
Allozymes
Day 4: 18th March 2023 (Saturday) – CONNECTING WITH NATURE
(bring water, umbrella/hat, walking shoes)
10.00 – 12.00 Visit: Edible Maker Space 
Location: 801 French Rd, #02-47, Singapore 200801
https://goo.gl/maps/grAxC3f1ySU4RN9G7
Saad will give a tour (20mins/round) first come first serve.
Afternoon session location: Ground-up Initiative
Location: 91 Lor Chencharu, Singapore 769201
https://goo.gl/maps/kpMMd3ih6z3cg6Au9
13.00 – 15.00 Visit: Ground-Up Initiative (GUI) 
15.00 – 16.00 Echolocation workshop by Esther Lu 
Location: Ground-Up Initiative
16.00 – 17.00 The Spirit House
by Din Chan & Wave Pongruengkiat
 
Day 5: 19th March 2023 (Sunday) – DIY and Artists sharing
Location: 136 Goethe Lab at Goethe Institut Singapore
136 Neil Rd, Singapore 088865

https://goo.gl/maps/yD7W1CUgse9sGkjM9
10.00 – 12.00 Workshop: Microbial Fuel Cell
Saad – Edible MakerSpace 
13.00 Artist Presentation: A Curious Mould to a Wonder Drug: Penicillin & antibiotics and how to grow them. by Din Chan, Peilin
14.30 Artist Presentation: Observing & Being Observe by Wave Pongruengkiat
16.00 Forum: Intimacy with Nature
Henry, Pakpoom, Adeline, Georg, Sean, Regine, Thanakrit
17.00 Closing
[prayer ; performance] by Din Chan

Workshop welcome kit, hands on workshop and offsite tour name list

References and Links

Biosafety, Ethics and Share purposes


Phase 1 – July 2022

PHASE 1 : Residency and Biohacking Workshop – Click here

PHASE 1 : BIO HACKING WORKSHOP

Location:
Naresuan University, Phitsanulok

Date:
17-23 July 2022

Article: Sensory Spirit Spiral by Pakpoom Subsoontorn

THIS WORKSHOP IS FREE AND OPEN TO EVERYONE
กิจกรรมจะดำเนินด้วยภาษาอังกฤษและไทย
การเดินทางระหว่างกิจกรรมอาจมีค่าใช้จ่าย (ค่ารถตู้)


ตารางกิจกรรมเวิร์คชอป
Workshop schedule

ช่องทางการติดต่อ


Residency Program

The first international art+science residency program in Thailand to provide space and resources for discussion and collaboration between artists, scientists and locals on life sciences and culture hosted by Prof. Pakpoom Subsoontorn an expert in synthetic biology at medical science department, Naresuan University

Our 3 years pilot program will lead to an Integration of Art & Science into university curriculum


Artists

Chu Hao Pei (1990, Singapore)

is a visual artist whose works are primarily influenced by his long-standing interest in the interrelations between culture and the environment. Hao Pei’s practice explores the shifting physical, sociological and emotional connections with our natural and urban landscapes. His works shed light on the overlooked and accidental by interweaving the processes of engagement, documentation and research to examine the complexities of environmental and cultural loss (or resurgence) shaped by political, economic and social factors. Hao Pei uses certain methods of documentation and representation to reveal aspects of his subject, while also both concealing and drawing attention to what cannot yet be communicated or understood.

Georg Tremmel (1977, Tokyo)

is an Austrian artist who currently lives in Japan, working in a DNA analysis laboratory at the Institute for Medical Science at the University of Tokyo. Tremmel and the Japanese artist Shiho Fukuhara (1976) together form the art duo BCL. BCL explores the relationships between biological and cultural codes by means of artistic interventions and social research. They have created various works revolving around art and modification, including ‘Biopresence’: a proposal to insert the DNA of recently deceased loved ones into trees to turn them into physical memorials. Georg also hosted Biocamp Japan 2018 and Organizer at Global Bio Community Summit at MIT’s Media Lab.

Wave Pongruengkiat (Chiangmai)

is Thai Art-Sci enthusiasm. He graduated from engineering school. He was passionate in art and in 2019, he started his first art exhibition during Chiang Mai Design Week. The projects are mostly interactive and generative art. Where he collaborated with local artists.

Weed Day (Taipei)

is run by two foraging artists. They are conscious of the current city landscapes and the ways in which humans interact with nature. They make weed tea among other everyday essentials with the foraged weeds. When foraging they choose the more dominant and invasive plants leaving more space for native species resulting in a more biodiverse environment. To them, the weeds speak for the land. Tea is also a huge part of everyday life in Taiwan.

To them, weed tea is the start of the conversation to help people become aware of the environment and its diversity. Every time they make tea it is with a different combination of site-specific plants (usually more than 20 types of plants) thus for every tea they make they write the ingredients to show people the diverse amount of plants that surround us even within the city. They want people to understand that we all depend on microorganisms, insects, plants, and animals to continue to stay alive and healthy. Past projects have included calligraphy, installations, performances, community projects among others. The two of them believe that we all as humans need to become the protector of nature‘s biodiversity.

Hanna Saito (Tokyo)
graduated from Tama Art University (Craft Department, Glass Course) with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art. After graduating, she joined metaPhorest (biological / bio-media art platform)in the Laboratory for Molecular Cell Network & Biomedia Art, at Waseda University as an artist and visiting researcher. Since 2021, she enrolled in the Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo (Yasuaki Kakehi Lab.) She’s creating artworks using scientific glass production techniques, organisms, organic matter, image analysis, etc.. She’s main themes are to reconsider the borders of nature/society, human/non-human, and the indivisibility of the expresser and the object of the expression at the interdisciplinary viewpoint.

Mahyuddin Chan, or Din Chan (1989, Singapore)

is an interactive installation artist and art therapist. Using technology as his medium, his work engages not just the viewers’ gaze, but also their senses and the physicality of their bodies. Through such interactivity, viewers are invited to be collaborators in the art-making process, creating a multi-faceted and inclusive vision together. 

Scientists

Residency Manual for Artist

Preliminary workshop 5-6 February 2022

Intimacy with Nature playlist

Hosts

Henry Tan (Bangkok)

Henry is an artist based in Bangkok, Co Founder of Tentacles Art Space in 2014, member of Freaklab, Thailand and metaPhorest, Japan, Biosummit Fellow 2019

Henry’s practice proposes and investigates socio ecological phenomena through understanding the advancement in technology, state ideology and policy

Pakpoom Subsoontorn, Phd. (Phitsanukok)

is a bioengineer, a lecturer at Naresuan University and former deputy director of the Lower Northern Science Park. He specialises in synthetic biology, an emerging research area related to design and construction of artificial biological devices and living systems. His work in synthetic DNA logic switching and data storage has been recognised as providing key innovations in programming life.

BIPAM

Beginning in 2016 as the Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting, Southeast Asia’s performing arts gathering and exchange platform, BIPAM has grown to become a performing arts management service organization based in Bangkok. BIPAM was founded by an arts manager collective with a vision to become the gateway for the world to take a step deeper into the various contexts of Southeast Asia where rich diversity in performing arts is ever-thriving, connecting Southeast Asian performing arts professionals with the international performing arts scenes. Moreover, BIPAM works to enhance the competence of local professionals through BIPAM’s own initiatives, collaboration projects with local and international art organizations, and other arts management services.

Supported by

Naresuan University
Singapore Art Museum
BIPAM
metaPhorest
BioClub Tokyo
Austria Embassy Bangkok
Global Community Bio Summit

PRESS

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