Science and Culture: The art of designing life.

Artist Howard Boland arrived for his 2012 exhibit at the headquarters of London’s newspaper The Guardian toting Erlenmeyer flasks, plastic tubing, and glowing bacteria. Boland was eager to set up his exhibit “Stress-o-stat.” He hit a snag. Although Boland had followed safety protocols, security staff took one look at the biohazard symbols on his project materials and ejected him from the premises. It’s a common problem for Boland, one of an emerging breed of artists who use or address synthetic biology in their work. Most biologists are keen to understand the natural world. Synthetic biologists are keen to find ways to alter it, whether modifying organisms to produce ingredients for medicines, machines, or makeup. The common element of design makes artists natural collaborators for synthetic biologists; it also makes artists natural commentators on the field. The result: In recent years, multiple artists and exhibitions have made forays into science, seeking to apply the tools of synthetic biology to their creations, to illuminate the inner workings of living organisms for viewers, or to probe questions about what the synthetic biologists should or shouldn’t create in a world where scientists can seemingly modify nature at will.