Syndicate: deadline for application is April 15 for Society and Genomic Culture

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

SEAFair 2001 - Society and Genomic Culture

Dates: 15 - 20 June, 2001
Synopsis: A REGIONAL PROJECT investigating cross issues of Culture and Biotechnology.
Location: Museum of Contemporary Art - Skopje,  Republic of Macedonia
Organizer: Contemporary Art Center - Skopje; Melentie Pandilovski - Director; tel. (+ 389 2) 133.541; 
e-mail: scca@scca.org.mk, misko@scca.org.mk; mobile: (+ 389 70) 217.075;
http://www.cac.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: 
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 to bring together artists, biotechnologists, 
sociologists, ethicists, and 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 feel that they would like to explore the idea of connecting art & culture are invited to 
participate in the event. 

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. 


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 criteria artists have to fulfill in order to become participants in the workshop are:

o The proposed idea must contain as a theme the issue of biotech or genetics, or contain in it issues concerning social, 
esthetic, or ethic questions which these themes pose on today's society
or contemporary art practice. All the proposals should include a short
explanation about the proposed project and the development they would
like to make while on the workshop.

o The idea of the biotech project must have a content wise potential for further development in artistic way.

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. 


?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 main goal of publishing the proceedings in a form of a catalogue and book is to make available to the general 
audience of readers, sociologists, cultural theoreticians and
practitioners, as well as specialists in the field of biotechnology and
genetics, a wide range of artistic and cultural responses to the newly
pressing issues of biotechnology and genomics. 

The book and catalogue will be printed in English and Macedonian, with a possible translation to other East European
languages. 
1000 copies are planned.
A part of the catalogues will be disseminated to the audience, as well as to the artists, the remaining part will be sent to
our partners in Europe or interested institutions or individuals. We
believe that this will encourage a spontaneous cross-border exchange of
ideas.


?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. 

?Media Campaign and Coverage
The media campaign and coverage will take part during the whole duration of the project, starting from the announcement, 
following all phases until the publishing, and producing of biotech artworks.

The deadline for application is April 15, 2001.


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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