Bioengineered Living Entities in Art: Aliveness, Duration, and Movement in Bricolage

Abstract

Abstract Bricolage is a kinetic biological artwork first exhibited at the Perth International Arts Festival in 2020. The artists used stem cell technologies to create bioengineered living entities from donated human heart muscle cells. These living entities are suspended in an incubator from the ceiling and are made visible to gallerygoers, who watch the performance of cells generating and moving independently. This paper considers how the assemblage, animation, and performance of cells embedded in Bricolage highlight questions around the conceptualizations and perceptions of life, duration, animation, and aliveness.