INTRA-ACTIONS #1
CREATIVE PRACTICE AND FUTURE ECOLOGIES
A panel discussion with the artists showing works on the SYM | BIO | ART exhibition
SATURDAY 12 AUGUST 2023 FROM 15:00 TO 17:00
FADA Gallery, Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
Bunting Road Campus, University of Johannesburg
Intra-actions is a series of engagements initiated by the University of Johannesburg’s newly-established Bioart + Design Africa - the first biotechnological art creative research programme and laboratory on the African continent. Inspired by the visionary concepts of New Feminist Materialist theorist Karen Barad, the engagements weave together the fabric of intra-connectedness, where practitioners are not only in dialogue but also reflect on and shape the research process itself. This novel approach fosters a profound understanding of the interplay between creative expression, scientific inquiry, and the intricate complexities of the microbial world beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. In Intra-actions, artist- and scientist- practitioners and related professionals collaborate in an exchange of interdisciplinary knowledge from the Humanities, Social Sciences, Health Sciences, as well as Art and Design disciplines. These broad-ranging engagements range from thought-provoking discussions on biopolitics, bioethics and biophilosophy to exploring the profound implications of microbiological discoveries on artistic expression.
Intra-actions is a monthly series, which kicks off with a live panel discussion between artists featured in the SYM | BIO | ART exhibition currently on at the FADA Gallery, University of Johannesburg. Moderated by Dineo Diphofa, participants include, Tobias Barnard, Leora Farber, Xylan de Jager, Brenton Maart, Miliswa Ndziba, Lucy Strauss and Nelisiwe Xaba - all of whom are working under the auspices of the CMRC. The artists will engage in conversation about how their practices contribute to critically and creatively shaping our current and future ecologies.