What is the purpose of BioArt in a VUCA world?

Looking back over the last several years, there is no doubt that we are currently living in a VUCA world. Due to the rapid development and saturation of an advanced capitalist economic system, the necessity for practices that do not rely on conventional market principles, rationality, and legitimacy is being called for in all areas. Now, more than ever, it is essential to consider a new sense of ethics while updating the way we perceive the world to better adapt to high stakes environmental and social challenges. The Bio art Movement has been attracting attention as one approach that can shed light on these environmental and societal issues.

The fourth Around the FabCafe World in 180 Days Event (“AFW180”) introduces the newest branch in the FabCafe Global Network, FabCafe Mexico City. FabCafe Mexico City is founded by mixed media artists and curators, Tania Aedo and Federico Hemmer. Tania and Federico are expanding their experiments in reality from the perspective of biotechnology and XR through their mixed realities lab, Membrana Lab, and the opening of their FabCafe in Mexico City.

Joining the conversation is Artist and BioClub* Founder, George Tremmel, who has been actively experimenting with and opening up biotechnology to the public, and Ana Laura Cantera, a bioelectronic artist who is trying to look at the future of the earth and humanity through the lens of mycelium, robotics and biotechnology.

This event is the fourth in the series «AFW180,» which unravels the activities of FabCafes around the world. This time, the focus will be on FabCafe MexicoCity, scheduled to open in February, 2022. We will hear presentations and discussions around the questions: What exactly is BioArt? How is it different from biotechnology? What can BioArt teach us about thriving in a VUCA world? 

*BioClub is a citizen science community and open bio lab where researchers, creators, companies, and citizens gather around the keywords of biology, technology, and art.

Federico Hemmer (Left) and Tania Aedo (Right)

FabCafe, which was born in Tokyo in 2012, has now spread to cities around the world. Each FabCafe is carrying out creative community activities for society through unique and experimental approaches. In many cases, the Founders of FabCafes around the world had their own career and projects with their own unique backgrounds, skills, savviness in technology and communities before they launched their own FabCafes. They empathized with the spirit of FabCafe and then opened cafes in various places to further expand their activities. One team is developing biomaterials with a research institute, another is organizing a global SDGs educational program, and in response to the corona pandemic, there are also teams that are contributing to the needs of medical professionals by organizing a system to increase production of much needed medical equipment.

With the characteristics of each branch and the scope of their activities ever expanding, we are starting a series of events where the leaders of each branch can introduce their activities in a marathon fashion in order to reconnect and show the diversity and strength of the FabCafe network. This series is called “Around the FabCafe World in 180 Days”, named after the novel “Around the World in Eighty Days”. Join us as we unravel the activities and unique leaders of each location!