BBa_K221000 is a sequence of DNA that produces an enzyme called geosmin, which is responsible for the smell of wet earth when it begins to rain. When BBa_k221000 is transformed (injected) into the DNA of E. coli bacteria, it transforms the bacteria into “living machines” that produce the smell of rain. The mystique surrounding the aroma of the Indian monsoon is encoded as a genetic sequence. This is an artistic investigation into the narrative and promises of synthetic biology.

The installation comprises a mobile DIY bio lab housed in a geodesic dome. The lab is equipped with all the facilities needed to perform rudimentary genetic engineering and is built entirely out of hacked, local, homemade consumer electronics. The bacteria / “living machines” are grown inside the lab in a custom-made incubator inviting the audience to engage, up-close in critical debates around such forms of biotechnologies. The lab also functions as a pedagogical space and artist studio, as it hosts artists’ workshops and performances and also facilitates the conceptual development of artworks that are produced by borrowing tools and methodologies from the life sciences. This mobile bio lab is collapsible and can be re-assembled in a day. The entire process of building the lab is documented and made available at _http://artscienceblr.org_ or _http://hackteria.org/wiki_


Links: http://artscienceblr.org/index.php?/project/bbak221000first-volume-of--teenage-gene-poems/

ArtScienceBangalore (IND): Yashas Shetty, Mukund Thattai, Navneet Rai, Akash Hirosh, Avni Sethi, Dhruv Nawani, Gautam Vishwanath, Krupakar Dhinakaran, Neha Bhat, Nikhil Patil, Sandeep Mathew, Sanya Rai Gupta, Upasana Simha, Aaron Joseph, Anusha Shankar, Akshitta Kohli, Diya Dutt Sharma, Farhad Mehta, Karthik Illango, Mohor Mukherjee, Samrajni Patil, Sayed Nooshin, Shreya Kumar

ArtScienceBangalore (IN) was formed in 2009 by the artist Yashas Shetty and the scientist Mukund Thattai. The group’s work focuses on the intersection of art, science and pedagogy, creating spaces of dialog and interaction between artists, designers and scientists. The group has focused on building low-tech, low-cost equipment, making it easier for outsiders to explore the life-sciences often emphasizing process over products. They have also been instrumental in creating a mobile DIY lab—a unique space for artists, scientists, farmers and social scientists to engage in critical debates around controversial forms of biotechnology.