Glossary

Bio Art is a contemporary art form where the boundary between science and art dissolves. Unlike other New Media practices, it uses living tissue, organisms, bacteria, plants, or genetic material as its primary medium. The field reflects the rapid pace of advances in biotechnology and genetics, and artists typically work hand-in-hand with scientists in real laboratory settings. Because the material is alive, a bio-art piece grows, changes, ages, and eventually also dies; the work is an ongoing, dynamic process.

This art form sits at the far, most experimental edge of New Media Art. Collecting it comes with questions around care, ethics, and longevity; worth a direct conversation with the artist before acquiring, since by definition, the piece you buy today will not be the same piece in a year.