LTTA2 A – Return to Dilmun’s fragments

Hybrid Lab Network’s 2nd LTTA (Learning Teaching and Training Activity), from 5 to 10 of November 2020, will revisit Return to Dilmun, a work of art made by Günter Seyfried, Roland van Dierendonck, Federico Mufatto and Hansjörg Petschko, conceived in the Open Wet Lab of the Waag in 2017.

Return to Dilmun uses the CRISPR Cas9 technique in vitro, to codify the image of an idol of early agricultural society into DNA, showing the continuity between early breeding and cultivation of species and those contemporary techniques and technologies.

In a 5-day workshop, we re-make the artwork by re-doing the in vitro and in silico protocols and in addition discuss its artistic and cultural significance, the ethics of these type of artistic research practices and scientific experiments, how to turn an experimental artistic gene-editing protocol in a meaningful learning-teaching-training module and whether it is important we imagine more of these types of artworks and their making.

Three labs (in Amsterdam, Helsinki and Porto) will be simultaneously remaking the artwork while reflecting and discussing jointly online. Due to the current pandemic, the number of people per lab is very limited.

However, if you have access to a lab and some equipment, you can join us. In order to do so, please contact i3s.hybrid@gmail.com (until October 31st). 

All times are CET (Porto-1, Helsinki +1)

Program (preliminary version)

Day 1 | Thursday 5 Nov. Artistic and scientific context of the technique used and starting hands-on

10.00   Introduction into LTTA 2 and the results of LTTA 1 CRISPR Creations

10.30   Introduction into the artwork Return to Dilmun by (Federico Mufatto, Guenter Seyfried, Roland v Dierendonck)

11.30   Introduction in CRISPR Cas 9 and its successors (Jose Bessa)

12.00   Introduction into the protocol of Return to Dilmun (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

12.30   Lunch

13.30   First in vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

         …

16.00   wrap of the day

Day 2 | Friday 6 Nov. Ethics and CRISPR Arts  

10.00   Continuation of in vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

12.30   Lunch

13.30   Presentation of works of art and design, using CRISPR technique (Lucas Evers)

14.00   Reaction of ethical and moral complexities and the notion of risk and contamination found in the presented works (Agnieszka Wołodźko)

14.30   Discussion: Why more CRISPR art?

15.00   Continuation of vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

         …

16.00   wrap of the day

Day 3 | Saturday 7 Nov. How to teach Return to Dilmun

10.00   Continuation of in vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

12.30   Lunch

13.30   Conversation and discussion about how the making of Return to Dilmun in its entirety can serve as a model to teach genetic engineering as art-making and a creative process and in reverse teach this type of art-making a way to understand implications of genetic engineering beyond its scientific application (moderated by Laura Beloff).

15.00   Continuation of in vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

         …

16.00   wrap of the day

Day 4 | Sunday 8 Nov Day of rest

         Continuation of in vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

         …

Day 5 | Monday 9 Nov Imagining, speculating and designing new CRISPR Art

10.00   Continuation of in vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

12.30   Lunch

13.30   Imagining and speculating new gene editing works of art, why we need them and what experimental designs are required to make them  (moderated by Lucas Evers)

15.00   Continuation of in vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

         …

16.00   wrap of the day

Day 6 | Tuesday 10 Nov Conclusions

10.00   Continuation of in vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

12.30   Lunch

13.30   Concluding discussion about Intellectual Output (moderated by Lucas Evers)

15.00   Continuation of vitro and in silico activities (Jose, Guenter, Roland)

         …

16.00   wrap of the day