Medicine, Tech, and Art

Personally, I have understood medical technologies in relation to art as a very fascinating form. A member of my extended family has a cosmetic prosthetic ear that was put in place following an accident they were in. It is incredible how biological art can be so functional and also aesthetically pleasing. I connected this experience to the art collection by Christophe Luxereau called Detached Pieces(“Christophe Luxereau : Arts / Pièces Détachées”). In this collection, he shines a light on the concept of biomechanical support and how restorative surgery has become so normal in our society(“Christophe Luxereau : Arts / Pièces Détachées”). 

(Quang)

Reading about the "Mission Eternity" was a bit shocking in how they seek to contain digital fragments of "soul"(Mission Eternity). I think this concept is beyond my understanding of how life after death is currently understood in science. I found the content provided on WEHI.TV to be very informative, ideas about how the human body works is animated for easy comprehension (The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research). Art is necessary for this display of information, it allows ideas to be expressed in a digestible way. 

(“Breast Stem Cells (2010) Etsuko Uno Wehi.tv”)

The sculptures titled Breed are an interesting representation of cell division, generated by a computer program to demonstrate evolution (Notnot). I was intrigued by this demonstration and it reminded me of how brands like Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat have used cell reproduction to make vegan "meat" options. 

(Notnot )

Virgil Wong was the most impressive person I studied this week. I think his achievements in optimizing how patients can interact with their healthcare providers and his use of art to visualize the human body is very exciting for future innovations in biological art (Virgil). 

Works Cited

“Breast Stem Cells (2010) Etsuko Uno Wehi.tv.” Www.youtube.com, 2010, youtu.be/dfCw5C3ER00. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.

“Christophe Luxereau : Arts / Pièces Détachées.” Luxereau.com, 2023, www.luxereau.com/arts/spareparts1.html. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.

Mission Eternity. “MISSION ETERNITY / SUMMARY.” Missioneternity.org, 2023, www.missioneternity.org/summary/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.

Notnot. “Breed, Voxel Sculptures, Artificial Evolution, Genetic Algorithm, Driessens & Verstappen, 1995-2007.” Xs4all.nl, 2023, notnot.home.xs4all.nl/breed/Breed.html. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.

Notnot . “Breed 1.1.” Notnot, 2007, notnot.home.xs4all.nl/breed/Breed.html. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.

Quang, Vanessa. “Spare Parts.” Christophe Luxereau, 2000. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, editor. “About WEHI.TV.” WEHI, 12 Sept. 2017, www.wehi.edu.au/wehitv/about-wehitv. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.

Virgil. “Bio - Virgil Wong.” Virgil Wong, 20 Feb. 2021, www.virgilwong.com/bio/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.