“WHAT IS LIFE??” - SPCS ("Species") Workshop Series at FabCafe Kyoto

Capacity

30

Fee

10,000 - 30,000¥

Microbiomes, radiation, viruses, bacteria. We are surrounded by forces of nature that we cannot see or touch. They make up our bodies, are the source of our curiosity, and are sometimes the object of our fear.

In recent years, as evidenced by terms such as “post-human-centered design” and “multispecies,” there has been a focus on the idea of perceiving the world through the relationship between humans and non-human life and environments. SPCS (Species) is a serial program that will explore our relationship with nature through collaborative prototyping.

Through the program, participants will learn how to use scientific methods and information-gathering techniques to respond to the questions that emerge in their minds. In addition, participants will practice designing with nature through different prototyping activities. At each session, instructors from different fields will provide a new challenge!

Season 1: Thinking about Life through DIY Bio

The theme of Season 1 is “DIY Bio”. The instructor is bio-artist Georg Tremmel. Georg has created a number of works such as “Common Flowers / Flower Commons” that point out the gray areas of biotechnology, which are neither defined as illegal nor legal. The theme of Georg’s work is “What is Life?”. It will be an opportunity to identify issues and themes that could lead new experiments and challenges.

DIY biotechnology is about citizens practicing biotechnology on their own, making use of familiar objects and digital fabrication. What is important here is not the pursuit of expertise or precision, but rather the use of scientific methods to look with curiosity at familiar phenomena. Don’t think that “science” or “biotechnology” is out of your realm of expertise; let’s explore the gateway to non-anthropocentric design practice by practicing DIY biotechnology together.

For more details and programme schedule:
https://fabcafe.com/events/kyo...