Evolution, Mutation and Hybridity in Bio-Performance Practice: Wet Biology and Hybrid Arts in the Performance/Installation 'BioHome—The Chromosome Knitting Project'

Abstract

In this paper I explore the influence of ‘Wet Biology’ practices on the development of my durational performance work 'BioHome: the Chromosome Knitting Project' at research, rehearsal, performance and documentation stages. This work is being developed as part of my Doctorate of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong where a performance of the full work took place in August 2006. This will be an annotation of methodology and grounded theory, as a result of my experience working with contemporary bio-ethics, Wet Biology and bio-art practices, and the emergence of a new form, ‘bio-performance’. Especially in the stages of research and rehearsal, the influence of the scientific practice has radically hybridized and mutated my performance form and content. This paper documents my experience working with contemporary Wet Biology techniques including DNA extraction, cell culturing and genetic modification of organisms during the research and development stages of the performance and how the influence of the scientific practices and notions of hybridity, evolution and mutation have influenced the form, content and processes of my work. The key topics I investigate for the purposes of this paper include: •That the message does respond to the medium – new biotechnologies can inform creative processes. •That the biological metaphors of evolution, hybridity and mutation are relevant to the development of hybrid performance works.