Synthetic Aesthetics: Call for Residents — Deadline: March 31, 2010.

We seek participants for a project on synthetic biology, design, and aesthetics. The project will provide funding to bring together scientists and engineers working in synthetic biology with artists, designers,
and other creative practitioners.

Resources will be made available for twelve funded ‘embedded residencies’, in which six artists and designers will spend two weeks in laboratories, and six scientists and engineers will spend two weeks in artistic studios and design workspaces (institutions or independent studios). The participants will be in six exchanges (synbio/creative), each pair spending four weeks working together over the project. It is our intention that such collaborations will lead to presentable results, although the form these take is entirely open to the participants. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the project.

We aim to construct the groundwork for future collaborations that could inform new types of engineering, new schools of art and design, and innovative approaches to the study of synthetic biology in society.

Further Details

Synthetic biology is broadly defined as the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems, and the re-design of existing biological systems for useful purposes. Design is central to synthetic biology, as the living world becomes a product of design and manufacturing choices, rather than evolutionary pressures alone. Thus, it becomes important to ask what role design — and the related concept of aesthetics — play in this burgeoning field. Other forms of engineering and manufacturing work in close conjunction with creative practitioners: structural engineers work with architects; mechanical engineers with product designers. Can synthetic biology benefit similarly from such collaborations?

Application Procedure and Deadline

Interested scientists, engineers, artists, designers, and others involved in synthetic biology or the creative professions should submit the following required documents:

For Designers and Artists:

• CV
• PDF portfolio, including links to relevant websites
• Letter of interest (no longer than one page) describing what you hope to get out of the project and what you would like to contribute
• 1 paragraph outlining the projects that you expect to be working on until December 2010, including any institutional affiliations

For Scientists and Engineers:

• CV
• Letter of interest (no longer than one page) describing what you hope to get out of the project and what you would like to contribute
• One paragraph outlining the projects that you expect to be working on until December 2010, including any institutional affiliations

Please send all documents via e-mail to: Dr. Pablo Schyfter - p.schyfter [at] ed.ac.uk

Please submit your application documents before March 31 2010 to be considered for one of the 12 residencies (6 artists/designers, 6 scientists/engineers).

Timings and Exchanges

The timing of the residencies is flexible over the next year. We seek applications from around the world. Funding covers approximately two weeks travel and accommodation, but participants are free (and encouraged) to make use of the resources to extend their visit or to find additional funding to support a longer visit.

The twelve residencies comprise six exchanges: participants will spend time in a lab/studio and will then host their exchange partner in their studio/lab. The project team will select the pairings although we welcome applications with a host venue in mind (but cannot guarantee placement in that venue).

Artists/designers not affiliated with an institution may apply. However, they must be able to host their exchange partner so will need to find a suitable venue.