TPC 2018
Anthropocene

Our world is changing at an ever increasing pace and new (bio)technologies, materials and innovations emerge on almost a daily basis. In this evolving landscape the fields of science and art grow more interconnected as scientific processes and theories inspire the arts and vice versa. Bridging the gap between these disciplines presents new research opportunities, allows us to address societal and environmental issues in a profoundly different manner or even create entirely new perspectives of the world we live in.

In 2018 BioArt Laboratories diverted its main focus to the recent impact of our society on planet earth, and the ideologies and philosophical questions these changes bring about. 2018’s Talent Pressure Cooker explored a great era of new ideas, materials and resources: the Anthropocene.

Our concept of nature is outdated. Mankind shapes nature. Since our existence, and especially since the industrial revolution, humans leave an undeniable and often irreversible footprint on the biosphere. Meanwhile this impact is so strong that science, politics and society are debating if the environmental changes are drastic enough to induce a new geological era: the Anthropocene, the era of mankind. When everything we previously considered as nature is made by mankind, a dualism like nature/culture or subject/object doesn’t function like before. We are at the beginning of a shift in paradigms, not only in natural sciences, but also in culture, politics and our daily life.

For our Open Call in 2018 we invited top talents from all over the world to submit proposals looking at what the Anthropocene can mean in the crossover between science and art. They were encouraged to explore the landscape of global change and resources and the way they lead to new materials, ideas and innovations. Together we defined the trajectory of the Anthropocene by developing ideas that spark a discussion on societal and ethical issues.

We offered participants training & guidance in life sciences and laboratory practice as well as access to our facilities in our hybrid laboratory and the unique chance to exhibit their work at a prominent location during the Dutch Design Week from the 21st – 29th of October 2018.

Meet our talents here!