ionat zurr. Juried Artist
Artist Statement
Ex-Utero is an exploration of human reproduction and the possibilities of ectogenesis. With the development of incubators as surrogate wombs new technologies will provide an environment for gestation ex vivo. But what will happen to the placenta critical gestational organ in this scenario?
We are conducting ongoing artistic research using scientific protocols such as fixation, MRIs, perfusion, corrosion casting, and tissue engineering to gain a deeper understanding of the human placenta.
Science fiction offers contrasting views: Huxley’s “Brave New World” depicts a dystopia where babies are conditioned for social class while Piercy’s “Woman on the Edge of Time” envisions a utopia with children gestated in artificial wombs and raised by three parents. The ex-utero environment outsourcing gestation from women embodies cultural ideas about eugenics and motherhood.
About the artists
Cristin Millett
As a transdisciplinary artist Cristin Millett’s investigations of medicine are integral to her process. She examines the intersection of art and science specifically sculptural processes
and reproductive futures. Her sculptural objects and installations prompt a contemporary cultural critique of societal issues surrounding reproduction and gender identity. Cristin’s artwork
has been widely exhibited including at the Villa StrozziFlorence; the International Museum of Surgical ScienceChicago; the ExploratoriumSan Francisco; the Mütter MuseumPhiladelphia;
and the Moving Poets NovillaBerlin. She is a Professor of Art at the Pennsylvania State University and was a 2020 Fulbright Senior Scholar at SymbioticA at the University of Western Australia.
Cynthia N. White
Cynthia N. White is an award-winning filmmaker whose projects have been broadcast on television at film and arts festivals and at conferences around the world. White’s work aims to further the understanding of and create dialogues about the intersection of art and science. Through visual narratives, she looks to bridge gaps in the public’s perception of science. Her work includes teaching
courses about digital media community health and social justice at the Pennsylvania State University.
Dr. Ionat Zurr
Dr. Ionat Zurr is an artist and academic. She is the Chair of the Fine Arts Discipline at the School of Design and a Researcher at Symbiotic: A School of Human Sciences at the University of Western Australia. Ionat is considered one of the founders in the field of Biological Arts. Her work was exhibited and collected by museums such as Pompidou Centre in Paris MoMA NY Mori Art
Museum NGV GoMA Yerba Buena Center for the Arts San Francisco Ars Electronica National Art Museum of China and more. Zurr’s ideas and projects reach beyond the confines of art;
her work is often cited as an inspiration to diverse areas such as new materials, textile design, architecture, ethics, fiction, and food.
As a transdisciplinary artist, Cristin Millett’s investigations of medicine are integral to her process. She examines the intersection of art and science specifically sculptural processes
and reproductive futures. Her sculptural objects and installations prompt a contemporary cultural critique of societal issues surrounding reproduction and gender identity. Cristin’s artwork has been widely exhibited including at the Villa Strozzi Florence; the International Museum of Surgical Science Chicago; the Exploratorium San Francisco; the Mütter Museum Philadelphia; and the Moving Poets Novilla Berlin. She is a Professor of Art at the Pennsylvania State University and was a 2020 Fulbright Senior
Scholar at SymbioticA at the University of Western Australia.
https://www.cristin-millett.com/
Cynthia N. White is an award-winning filmmaker whose projects have been broadcast on television at film and arts festivals and at conferences around the world. White’s work aims to further the
understanding of and create dialogues about the intersection of art and science. Through visual narratives, she looks to bridge gaps in the public’s perception of science. Her work includes teaching
courses about digital media community health and social justice at the Pennsylvania State University. https://sites.psu.edu/cynthiawhite/
Credits: Cristin Millet, Cynthia N. White & Ionat Zurr
URL: https://www.cristin-millett.com/