At this inaugural Australian Leonardo/ISAST LASER Talk, Dr Svenja J. Kratz and Professor Dietmar Hutmacher will discuss their collaboration for the Posthuman Genetic Legacies project, a recipient of the prestigious ANAT Synapse Residency for 2021. Posthuman Genetic Legacies will examine the scientific potential and legal implications of securing alternative genetic offspring via biotechnological intervention. The project draws on the artist’s recent experience of uterine pathology and impending menopause to consider alternative conceptions of motherhood and reproduction. In particular, the project investigates the potential of cell culture and genetic engineering to acquire biological offspring when conventional reproductive pathways are compromised or traditional conceptions of motherhood are undesirable. Held at UQ Art Museum, physical attendance will be restricted to 40 people. The talk was streamed via Zoom and the recorded stream is now available here. The talk begins at 5:30pm AEST, 11 June with a reception held afterwards at 7:00pm. Online questions will be relayed to the Chairs, Associate Professor Elizabeth Stephens (UQ) and Associate Professor Grayson Cooke (SCU). Dr Kratz is a contemporary Australian artist and researcher interested in transdisciplinary creative practice, particularly the intersections between science and art. She lectures in the School of Creative Arts and Media at the University of Tasmania. Professor Hutmacher is recognised internationally for his research in adult stem cell research related to regenerative medicine. He is Distinguished Professor and Chair in Regenerative Medicine at Queensland University of Technology.
