Jennifer Willet is an internationally successful artist in the emerging field of BioArt.

Biography

Jennifer Willet has exhibited, and presented her research extensively across Canada and internationally.From 2000-2007 Willet and Jason Knight collaborated on an innovative computational, biological, artistic, project called BIOTEKNICA.

She taught in the Studio Arts Department at Concordia University from 2000-2007, and completed her PhD in the Interdisciplinary Humanities Program at the same institution. Willet also taught "BioArt: Contemporary Art and the Life Sciences" for The Art and Genomics Centre at The University of Leiden in Spring 2008, and now works as an Assistant Professor in the School of Visual Arts, at The University of Windsor.

In 2009 she opened the first biological art lab in Canada, called INCUBATOR: Hybrid Laboratory at the Intersection of Art, Science, and Ecology at the University of Windsor.

Exhibitions include:

• Exit Art Gallery, New York, NY (2009)
• Ars Electronica festival, Linz (2008)
• FOFA Gallery, Montreal (2007)
• ISEA San Jose, USA (2006)
• Biennial Electronic Arts Perth Perth, Australia (2004)
• European Media Arts Festival Osnabrück , Germany (2003)
• La Société des arts et technologiques (SAT) Montreal, Canada (2005)
• Forest City Gallery London, Canada (2004).

She has conducted research during residencies at The Banff Centre for the Arts Banff, Canada (2002, 2007, 2009), and SymbioticA, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia (2004, 2006).

Research project

BIOTEKNICA

BIOTEKNICA is a fictitious corporation, which explores notions of reproduction and self/other distinctions in relation to evolving biotechnologies.

BIOTEKNICA projects its viewers into the future, where within a virtual laboratory designer organisms are generated on demand. They are modeled on the Teratoma, an unusual cancerous growth containing multiple tissues like hair, skin, teeth, and vascular systems. BIOTEKNICA both embraces and critiques biotechnology, considering the contradictions and deep underlying complexities that these technologies offer the future of humanity.

Since their first residency in 2004 BIOTEKNICA has adopted a critical participatory methodology bringing their theoretical specimens out of their virtual environment and into the laboratory.

Their preliminary investigations involved growing tissue culture prototypes to serve as new representations of the BIOTEKNICA product line. THey commenced research with tissue culture protocols in the production of artwork as pioneered by Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr. 

BIOTEKNICA exhibited as a part of BioDifference: the Political Ecology during BEAP2004.

Funding

• 2004 three-month residency funded through HEXAGRAM, Concordia University, Montreal
• 2006 six-month residency funded through The Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Collaborators

• Jason Knight
• In 2006, the second residency involved working in collaboration with Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr in the completion of a new work entitled Teratological Prototypes.

Period of research

2004 and 2006