Fingerprints? - Identity, Indexicality and Biomedia (Focus Discussion, Track 1)

Fingerprints? - Identity, Indexicality and Biomedia
Panel (Track 3)
Participants: Simon Cole (us), Jens Hauser (de), Hans-Jörg Rheinberger (ch), Paul Vanouse (us)
Moderation: Marie-Luise Angerer (de)

The convergence of information and laboratory technological procedures engenders biomedia that are increasingly being appropriated by the arts. Based on the performative gel electrophoresis works by US artist Paul Vanouse, the panel examines the political, science-historical and aesthetic aspects of contemporary biologisms and molecularisms. Identification and authentication strategies such as ‘genetic fingerprinting’ readily hide away their inherent constructedness while ‘naturally’ presenting themselves in the tradition of photography or the imprint, supposed to be indexical. Are antiquated racial and gender discourses becoming acceptable again? 

What contribution does art that uses biomedia make when it subverts today´s knowledge producing images?

In Collaboration with the Ernst Schering Foundation