CALL:  TTTlabs BioFeral.BeachCamp till June 15th

The Ionian University is now presenting the last of three calls for TTTlabs BioFeral.BeachCamp (BFBC): NewRepro-FlaOctomingopus (NR-FO) – Non-Human Bioart/Bodyart on the Beach (NH-BB) taking place on Sept 15-25, 2024 on the island of Crete. TTTlabs BioFeral.BeachCamp (BFBC) is a durational highly speculative autonomous skill-share event of intense co-creation, co-education and co-development.

Exploring advances in new reproductive technology through the informal bridging of art and science via DIY (do-it-yourself), DIWO (do-it-with-others), DITO (do-it-together) culture methodologies, TTTlabs BFBC NR-FO – NH-BB focuses on fostering an open-ended understanding of IVF Embryo Implantation among the selected participants. Examples of topics approached include Artificial Germ Cells, the global economics of surrogacy, prototyping artificial wombs, selective abortion, being born a chimera, queer pregnancy (qPreg), embryonic development, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, In Vitro Fertilization, germline gene editing, Animal Studies, and speculative forms of embryo grading. The subtextual narrative blends developmental biology of embryonic implantation with a group performance loosely based on becoming a flamingo/octopus.

In a time of extraordinary scientific advances and ethical dilemmas in the fields of bioinformatics, new reproductive technologies, transgenic germline alterations, and animal behavior studies, TTTlabs III: New Repro-FlaOctomingopus (NR-FO) – Non-Human Bioart/Bodyart on the Beach offers an invitation to rethink new reproductive technologies and concepts: artificial womb, birth control, ovum pickup, eco-burial, cryogenics, embryo grades, implantation/surrogacy, genital development, semi-living death studies, selective reduction, posthuman family planning, and transgenic germline tailoring. How do fertilized embryos implant into the uterine wall? How does a body accept and nourish this partial other being? And how is this implantation achieved during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?

TTTlabs BFBC NR-FO – NH-BB revolves around hacking research methods with wetlab Bioart as ‘ethics in action’ including creative audiovisual art mash-ups, novel bioart experiments and surgical apparatus/simulation prototyping and bio-ferality experiments in performance art. TTTlabs BFBC NR-FO – NH-BB focuses on the artificial implantation of germline gene-edited interspecies transgenic human chimeras. We interpret human chimeras from the perspective of Animal Studies, emphasizing concepts of animal enrichment and ‘the animal turn’.

Applications are open for the following fields of expertise: Bioartists, Performance Artists, Gynecologists (IVF specialists), Animal Studies Ethnographers/Scientists of Animal Behavior, Biologists (Developmental), Video Jockeys (VJs), Biohackers/Makers, Body-Horror/Science-Fiction Writers, Science Technology Studies Scholars, New Reproductive Technology Specialist (IVF technicians and human embryologists welcome), Body Artists/Performance Artists, Psychologists and Genetic Counselors.

The organization offers accommodation and food, free of charge, to a limited number of participants (max 8) in Crete. Call for participants is open until 15 June 2024. Results will be announced on 30 June 2024.

Please read the Disclaimer before applying. For more information about the previous TTTlabs BFBC, please check our website TTTlabs BFBC NR-RR GB/BB | Spring 2023 New Repro-Rebirthing Retreat – Gestalt Bioart / Bodyart on the Beach or an extended article published on makery.info “Exploring science and intimacy through artificial reproduction in Greece”

TTTlabs BFBC are organized as part of the Feral Labs Network activities, co-funded by the Creative Europe Program of the European Union, and to launch a new Hub based in the Ionian Islands – Greece, supported by the team of the Interactive Arts Lab of the Department of Audio & Visual Arts of the Ionian University.

Rewilding Cultures (RC) is a Creative Europe collaboration project, which wants to reposition the wild within the field of art practices connecting to science and technology. As the European cultural sector has been and still is affected by multiple subsequent and coincident crises (incl. COVID-19, war-induced inflation, migration) we need to rewild on terms fit for the present and future.

Rewilding Cultures is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, which aims to support European projects in the field of cultural production and innovation. The partner associations include ART2M / Makery (FR), Bioart Society (FI), Catch (Helsingør Kommune) Center for Art, Technology and Design (DK), Cultivamos Cultura (PT), Ionian University (GR), Radiona (HR) Schmiede Hallein (AT) and Projekt Atol (SI) which leads the project. More information on the project available on the Rewilding Cultures website.

Rewilding Cultures is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, which aims to support European projects in the field of cultural production and innovation.