SymbioticA, a keystone organization in the ecosystem of the international art and science community, is under threat of imminent closure at The University of Western Australia.
“Activities to educate, facilitate, and disseminate the utilization of science for creative and cultural outcomes.”
Established in 2000 by cell biologist Professor Miranda Grounds, neuroscientist Professor Stuart Bunt, and artists Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr, SymbioticA is the first research laboratory of its kind, enabling artists and researchers to engage in wet biology. Located at University of Australia’s School of Anatomy and Human Biology, SymbioticA hosts residents, workshops, exhibitions, and symposiums. They have also established an academic program for both undergraduate and postgraduate students available to artists, designers, architects, scientists and humanities scholars who wish to engage in creative bio-research.
Accommodating residents from around the world SymbioticA, provides an artistic laboratory dedicated to the research, learning, critique and hands-on engagement with the life sciences. As a mark of international recognition of its activities, SymbioticA was awarded the inaugural Golden Nica for Hybrid Arts in the Prix Ars Electronica in 2007.
Both former residents of SymbioticA, Guy Ben-Ary (cellF) and Cat Hope (Sounds of Decay) explored the cross-fertilization of art and science in their projects and Tina Gorjanc starred Oron Catts in her documentary for Pure Human.
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