record

Thesis Info

LABS ID
00585
Thesis Title
Transductive Praxis in BioArt: Relational Ontology and Aesthetics of Nonhuman Experience
Author
Tyler Fox
2nd Author
3rd Author
Degree
PhD
Year
2015
Number of Pages
277
University
Simon Fraser University
Thesis Supervisor
Diane Gromala
Supervisor e-mail
gromala AT sfu.ca
Other Supervisor(s)
Laura Marks, Kate Hennessy
Language(s) of Thesis
English
Department / Discipline
School of Interactive Arts and Technology
Languages Familiar to Author
English
URL where full thesis can be found
summit.sfu.ca/item/15586
Keywords
Simondon BioArt individuation transduction milieu bioluminescence fermentation
Abstract: 200-500 words
In this dissertation, I utilize the philosophy of Gilbert Simondon to form a theoretical framework for making BioArt. BioArt, for this research, means artwork that incorporates living, nonhuman organisms. Because Simondon addresses physical, living, and technical individuation, his philosophy is well suited for a consideration of BioArt. Simondon adopts a relational ontology to argue that individuation, or how things come to be, is ongoing and processual. The processes of individuation, he argues, must become the starting point of philosophy, rather than beginning with the individual and trying to then identify the processes by which that individual came to be. His philosophy is emergent and dynamic; it provides an understanding of the relations between entities, between individuals and their sustaining environments, as entirely real. Simondon argues his philosophy is generalizable across all regimes of existence (physical, living, technological, psychosocial, etc.), but specific to the context of a given set of relations. Simondon offers critical concepts for the consideration and creation of BioArt, especially techno-aesthetics. I use Simondon’s techno-aesthetics to build a method and approach to creating BioArt. I adopt a broader definition of BioArt; I eschew an understanding of BioArt that only emphasizes the practices, tools and processes from the biotechnology industry as the underlying requirement of the genre. Rather than limiting our understanding of what BioArt is, I argue for an opening up of our understanding of what BioArt can be. It represents a research path that brings relations between humans, technology, and living, nonhuman organisms to the fore. My research seeks to understand how BioArt can foster shared experiences between humans and nonhumans, aided by technical mediation. I discuss the development of two different BioArt projects, one in the final stage and one in the nascent stage, which are part of the research for this dissertation. They offer both physical instantiations of the theories and arguments of my research, as well as objects of analysis through which I explore and expand upon Simondon’s philosophy.