PHILADELPHIA, PA -- (October 31, 2018) – Heather Dewey-Hagborg, the latest artist selected to participate in the University City Science Center and Integral Molecular’s BioArt Residency program, will begin her three-month residency in November. Dewey-Hagborg is a transdisciplinary artist and educator whose interests focus on art as research and critical practice. Dewey-Hagborg is the third of three artists selected to participate in the program, which hosts artists at uCity Square-based biotech company Integral Molecular.
During the three-month residency, Dewey-Hagborg will work on a project titled Lovesick. Lovesick plays on the idea of romantic infatuation as a virus and the process of moving on as akin to building up antibodies. Dewey-Hagborg will work with actual viruses and antibodies within Integral Molecular’s lab.
Lovesick examines desire and intimacy in a ubiquitous genomic future where biotechnology is inexpensive and accessible, and selecting one’s emotions through biotechnology might even be possible. Dewey-Hagborg’s work on Lovesick will act as a sequel to her project T3511, a post-genomic love story and experimental documentary.
Heather Dewey-Hagborg is a transdisciplinary artist and educator. Her controversial biopolitical art practice includes the project Stranger Visions, in which she created portrait sculptures from analyses of genetic material (hair, cigarette butts, chewed-up gum) collected in public places. She has shown work internationally at events and venues including the World Economic Forum, the Shenzhen Urbanism and Architecture Biennale, the Van Abbemuseum, Transmediale and PS1 MOMA. Her work is held in public collections of the Centre Pompidou, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the New York Historical Society, among others, and has been widely discussed in the media, from the New York Times and the BBC to Art Forum and Wired. Dewey-Hagborg has a PhD in Electronic Arts from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is an artist fellow at AI Now, an Artist-in-Residence at the Exploratorium, and an affiliate of Data & Society. She is also a co-founder and co-curator of REFRESH, an inclusive and politically engaged collaborative platform at the intersection of Art, Science, and Technology.
The BioArt Residency program fosters collaboration between artists and scientists. Not only does it allow both parties to gain new perspectives, but artists are able to serve as intermediaries communicating and creating dialog around complex scientific issues. As part of each residency, the artist spends three months working on creative research projects in Integral Molecular’s lab.
The BioArt Residency is supported by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
About the Science Center
Located in the heart of uCity Square, the Science Center is a mission-driven nonprofit organization that catalyzes and connects innovation to entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. For 50+ years, the Science Center has supported startups, research, and economic development in the life sciences, healthcare, physical sciences, and emerging technology sectors. As a result, graduate firms and current residents of the Science Center’s incubator support one out of every 100 jobs in the Greater Philadelphia region and drive $13 billion in economic activity in the region annually. By providing resources and programming for any stage of a business’s lifecycle, the Science Center helps scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators take their concepts from idea to IPO – and beyond. For more information about the Science Center, go to www.sciencecenter.org
About Integral Molecular
Integral Molecular (www.integralmolecular.com) is the industry leader in membrane protein antibody discovery, with a pipeline of therapeutic antibodies against GPCRs, ion channels, transporters, and immuno-oncology targets. The company currently has therapeutic programs focused on cancer, pain, immunity, and metabolic disorders.
