Syndicate: SEAFair 2001 - Society and Genomic Culture

[Melentie Pandilovski <mpandil@soros.org.mk>]

SEAFair 2001 - Society and Genomic Culture
Date and place: 15 - 20 June, 2001
Museum of Contemporary Art - Skopje, 
Republic of Macedonia

Organizer: Contemporary Art Center - Skopje; 
Curator: Melentie Pandilovski 
http://seafair.scca.org.mk/
tel. (+ 389 2) 133.541;
e-mail: scca@scca.org.mk, misko@scca.org.mk;

AIM
Creating of critical discourse, and an on-going debate regarding the cultural, social, ethical 
and ideological issues of genetics and biotechnology. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: 
SEAFair 2001 - Society and Genomic Culture
The project Society and Genomic Culture investigates the overall implications of the cross-issues 
of biotechnology, genetics (GM Food, Human Genome Project, etc.), informatics, and
techno-utilization. 

The Center has envisioned the project Society and the Genomic Culture as
a forum bringing together artists, sociologists, biotechnologists,
 ethicists, culture theoreticians and practitioners, in a constructive dialogue.
We expect the project to produce an open atmosphere for critical
discourse, and an on-going debate regarding the
ideological, social, and ethical issues of genetics and biotechnology. 
The idea of this edition of SEAFair is to investigate what the abandoning of the electronic for the moist, or their fusion
will result with in the next period, and how the evolution of society,
politics, networks, and media, will be critically examined in an overall
platform. This platform will include series of continuous standpoints
questioning the very ideology of biotechnology and genetic engineering,
but should as a consequence result with a developing of a sensible
attitude to the corpus of biotechnological issues. This especially
because current research of broad fields in biotechnology and aspects of
genetic engineering (GM food, Human Genome Project, etc.) in a cultural
and a social sense, may assist us in the visualizing of our future. 

STRUCTURE

The project in itself has 8 phases:
i. Selection of participants 
ii. On-Line Debate
iii. Exhibition
iv. Workshop
v. Symposium
vi. Publishing of catalogue and book 
vii. Producing of Bio Tech Art
viii. Media Campaign and Coverage

All artists, theorists, curators, who are active in this field are invited to participate in the event. 
The idea of the biotech project must have a content wise potential for
further development in artistic way.

?The On-Line Debate is thought-out as concentrating on issues of
ideology and biotechnology.
The debate will feature an on-going discussion for a period of 2 months before the Symposium
regarding ideological, social and ethical discourses of genetics and
biotechnology. The discussion will take into account the spreading of
Bio-Sciences (including flourishing bio-business, genetic databanks,
security issues) and the reception by the politics, media, and the
general public.

?Exhibition
The exhibition will feature between 15-20 artworks by leading contemporary international and
domestic artists. The artworks are in fact a collaboration of artists with scientists in the fields of: genomics, biotechnology,
media &communication bio works. 
The artworks will be displayed in the Skopje Museum of Contemporary Arts in the period 
June 15 - September 1, 2001. 

?Symposium
A two-day Symposium, by leading theoreticians in the field is planned. Around 10
international and domestic theoreticians will be invited to participate.
Also the artists taking part in the exhibition and workshop will be
invited to participate in the Symposium. The main theme of the Symposium
will be SOCIETY AND GENOMIC CULTURE (the influence of techno-scientific
change upon society, the ethical implications of Genetic Engineering,
research and industrialization). 

?Publishing 
The book and catalogue will be printed in English and Macedonian, with a possible translation to other
East European languages. 


?Workshop 
The artists will be gathered in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje, Macedonia. They will be
provided with experimental tools and a room with-in the Museum. The
audience will also be able to see the work of the artists on the
workshop. The workshop will be led by international and domestic experts
dealing with the aesthetic, scientific, and ethical aspects in
connection with the use of biotechnology and genetics as artistic medium.
The workshop will be aimed at 20 artists from Macedonia and Central&Eastern Europe 
who will take part in it. The artists will be provided lodging and food. 
The workshop will take place 
June 15 - 20. The workshop will serve as a theoretical and practical introduction in the creation of biotech art.
During this period the leaders of the workshop will perform:
1. - Introduction to Bio-tech Art and relevant international work to the artists attending the workshop 
2. - Practical demonstration and development of individual concepts for work in Bio-tech Art. 
3. - Assistance in the realization of their works and bringing the artists to a level from which the
artists can continue to develop the projects on their own. 
The goals of the workshop are:
?To enhance the knowledge of artists in the workshop about envisioning, preparation, and
implementation of bio-tech art projects.
?To enable the artists to disseminate information and experiences gathered in this workshop 
to colleagues in their own surrounding.
?To produce the improved version of their projects. 
?To test their ideas. 
?To prepare their future work.
?To have a public presentation on the end of the workshop, in the framework of the EXHIBITION.

?Producing of Bio-tech Art work
The Contemporary Art Center will attempt to produce the initiated projects on the workshop. The aim of the 
new produced biotech artwork is for it to be a part of major international
art events and flows. 


The deadline for application is April 15, 2001.
You may pick up the application from : 
http://seafair.scca.org.mk/01/default.asp
The selection decision will be made by May 1, 2001.


-------------------------------------------------------
Melentie Pandilovski
Director
Contemporary Arts Center  - Skopje
Orce Nikolov 109, 1000 Skopje
Republic of Macedonia
Tel/Fax: +389.2.133.541
Tel/Fax: +389.2.214.495
Mobile: +389.70.217.075
http://www.scca.org.mk
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