BIOSYNTHETIC SYSTEMS

QUT Collaborative Art|Design|Science Project

OVERVIEW

Project outline

BioSynthetic Systems is a collaborative new media art project involving the development of an interactive holographic chamber capable of sustaining 3D bio-printed sculptures composed of living cells.  The project builds on previous work by contemporary artist Svenja Kratz in the area of ArtScience, as well as current research in the Regenerative Medicine and Interactive Visual Design domains at QUT.

The project aims to explore the creative and critical potentials of transdisciplinary practice across art, science and technology and create an evocative platform for local, interstate and international audiences to engage with new biotechnologies, particularly the development of living products such as 3D printed organs and organisms.   In particular, the project aims to experiment with creative potentials of bio-fabrication, an emerging field of research involving the rapid prototyping of organs and tissues.  The project will also enable further refinement of an existing bioreactor prototype to support living 3D sculptures for up to six weeks without ongoing maintenance. This would enable the work to be displayed in a gallery environment without expert care.  To create a platform for audience engagement, the bioreactor will also include a display chamber based on a four-sided pyramid design that creates a holographic image using LCD video screens operating on a mirror-projection principle. This component was researched and designed following a bioart residency completed by Svenja Kratz at Leiden University in The Netherlands in 2013.

PROJECT PARTNERS

IHBI [Regenerative Medicine] & Creative Industries Faculty [Interactive Visual Design]

BioSynthetic Systems is a collaborative undertaking between artist Svenja Kratz and the IHBI Regenerative Medicine Group and Interactive Design Discipline at QUT.

Primary project partners include Professor Dietmar Hutmacher, leader of the Regenerative Medicine Group at IHBI and Assoc. Professor Gavin Sade, Interim Director of the Performance & New Media Lab at QUT with testing and project development support from The Edge, a digital cultural centre at the State Library of Queensland. The project development team includes artist Svenja Kratz, micro-electronics engineer Michael Maggs and industrial designer Richard Candy, with support from members of the Regenerative Medicine Group including Felix Wunner, Alexander Moran Stephanie Piper Onur Bas, Mohit Chhaya, Jacqui McGovern, Madeline Hintz and Elena Juan Pardo.

FUNDING

Project Funding and Support

This project is proudly funded by a ‘Creative Sparks Grant’ from the Brisbane City Council.

The project is supported by QUT and The Edge at the State Library of Queensland.