Biomedia Art in Berlin

Found this message in my mailbox. For those of you who are visiting Transmediale in Berlin!

'Join us on january 27 at 7 pm for the opening of
Paul Vanouse: Fingerprints...at the Ernst Schering Foundation’s project space, Unter den Linden 32-34, D-10117 Berlin

Fingerprints… showcases performative installations and live laboratories by US-American biomedia artist Paul Vanouse. Curated by Jens Hauser, this exhibition marks a continuation of the Ernst Schering Foundation’s effort to promote the public discussion about the role of images in art and science.
Exhibition Dates: January 28 – March 26, 2011, Monday through Saturday, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm; admission free.

Fingerprints… presents the world premiere of the Suspect Inversion Center, an operational laboratory in which Vanouse creates identical “genetic fingerprints” of criminals and celebrities from his own DNA. It also features new motifs of the Latent Figure Protocol, as well as the Relative Velocity Inscription Device – a cynical molecular race reflecting on biologically legitimized racism, in which bits of DNA, instead of bodies, compete by testing their “genetic fitness”.

Vanouse’s biotechnological installations do not only challenge the codes and images of contemporary knowledge production but also question the methods behind (natural) scientific findings in general: What do uncritically accepted commonplace catchwords such as “genetic fingerprint” conceal? To what extend does the technical construction of alleged naturalness notarize clichés and prejudices? Vanouse diverts biotechnologies and scientific imaging techniques from their intended uses, and amalgamates auratic iconography with technical images. Employing gel electrophoresis as artistic medium, he intentionally applies a method that bears analogies to photography: while photography allowed viewers to draw seemingly objective conclusions about human qualities based on physiognomic characteristics of the body, today, increasingly questionable social conclusions are derived from ontologized body fragments such as genes.

Fingerprints… is an official Satellite Partner of transmediale.11, where it will be echoed by the live installation Latent Figure Protocol.

http://www.transmediale.de/content/schering-stiftung-fingerprints-0
http://www.transmediale.de/de/content/schering-stiftung-fingerprints

On February 4 2011 at 2 pm an accompanying panel with Paul Vanouse, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, Simon Cole, Jens Hauser and Marie-Luise Angerer takes place within the transmediale.11 conference at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt.

http://www.transmediale.de/content/fingerprints-identity-indexicality-and-biomedia-focus-discussion-track-1
http://www.transmediale.de/de/content/fingerprints-identity-indexicality-and-bio-media-focus-discussion-track-1

On the occasion of the exhibition, the anthology Fingerprints…Index, Imprint, Trace, edited by Jens Hauser, will appear in the Ernst Schering Foundation’s publication series with argobooks and will be presented at the Ernst Schering Foundation on March 24, 2011 at 7 pm. http://www.argobooks.de/

Press Inquieries:
Friederike Plucinski, Projekt Manager Schering Stiftung
Tel. +49.30.20 62 29 60
plucinski@scheringstiftung.de '.