Toward a bioethical perspective for posthumanist aesthetics: Bioart as an example

Abstract

The recent use of gene editing technology (CRISPR-Cas9) in clinical practice revived not only bio-ethical discussions surrounding the potential abuse of the technology, but also the democratization processes when making decisions about how biotechnologies are to be used. Biological material and laboratory techniques have served as means of artistic expression for several decades. Using the examples of bioart projects, this article will present to what extent and in what conditions could bioethics penetrate the aesthetic space of posthumanism – including DIY strategies as a mode of transfer of scientific and technological knowledge to the public, while engaging the people’s par-ticipation in the decisions made concerning the future of the human genome.