About this Event
Speakers
Anna Dumitriu
Professor Rachel Kerr
Cecile Bourne Farrell
Agenda
18:00 - Event start and talk, followed by discussion
20:00 - Reception and networking
21:00 - Event close
Synopsis
This Computer Arts Society talk features internationally renowned British BioArtist Anna Dumitriu in conversation with two collaborators from her recent project Manna: Epigenetics, Conflict and Intergenerational Trauma: independent curator Cécile Bourne-Farrell and Rachel Kerr, Professor of War and Society at King’s College London.
Dumitriu will introduce her transdisciplinary art practice, which fuses biology and digital technologies; from epigenetics to bio-inspired underwater robots; interactive installations that model antibiotic resistance to sculptural or textile installations that incorporate DNA; and synthetic biology to pathogenic bacteria.
The discussion will focus on the development of Manna, examining the scientific, historical and ethical ideas underpinning the project, the collaborative process between artist, curator and academic, and the ways in which the work addresses intergenerational trauma shaped by conflict. The talk will also explore how Manna came to be commissioned for CALORIE, the current exhibition at Science Gallery Bengaluru.
Learning points and educational uses:
- Understanding how artistic practice can engage critically with genetics, genomics, and the environment.
- Exploring ethical questions around biomedical research, data ownership, consent, and responsibility.
- Examining the impact of technological acceleration on healthcare, diagnosis, and lived experience.
- Introducing interdisciplinary methods that bridge art, biology, and medical humanities.
- Using BioArt as a teaching tool for science communication and public engagement.
- Supporting discussion-based learning across art, science, ethics, and policy contexts.
About the speaker
Anna Dumitriu is a British artist working at the intersection of art, science, and technology, with a research-led practice grounded in collaboration with scientific institutions. She currently holds research fellowships with the National Institute of Health Research Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Hertfordshire, and Cranfield University, and is the Artist in Residence with Modernising Medical Microbiology at the University of Oxford.
Her work engages critically with biomedical research, laboratory processes, and scientific knowledge production, addressing the cultural, ethical, and historical implications of contemporary science.
Dumitriu exhibits internationally at venues including ZKM, Ars Electronica, Kunstlerhaus Vienna, HeK Basel, the 6th Guangzhou Triennial, BOZAR, The History of Science Museum Oxford, and the Picasso Museum. Her work is held in collections including ZKM, Eden Project, and the Science Museum London.
She is a leading influential voice in BioArt, exploring complex issues in science and medicine and their cultural and societal impacts, through sustained transdisciplinary collaboration.
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This event is brought to you by:
BCS Computer Arts Society specialist group
Please visit: Computer Arts Society
Image credit: The image is "Cellular Reprogramming Necklace" by Anna Dumitriu (Photo by Audrey Rose Mizzi).
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, 25 Copthall Ave, London, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
