ABSTRACT
The American artist and theoretician Suzanne Anker has been one of the most important figures working at the intersection of art and biology. Her work over the last four decades combines inquiry into science and the newest technologies with a strong aesthetic sense. She is also chair of the BFA Fine Arts Department at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York, which features a cutting-edge bioart laboratory. Under her guidance, a mixed group of art and science students took part in the 2015 iGEM (International Genetic Engineered Machine) competition with the project Soiled, which won a gold medal for Best Art and Design Project. Informed by the tests experts perform on soil samples, Soiled applies color as a metric for analysis. Furthermore, the group sought to design a device that would minimize or do away with the toxic reagents used by most tests. The project included taking soil tests from over fifty locations in New York City.
