Interview with Niki Sperou

Interview with Niki Sperou: (Conducted by Melentie Pandilovski, April 2010) Q: In your artistic career you have worked with sculpture, textiles, photography, moving image, painting/drawing, traditional crafts, biological organisms, and lab products and processes. What is the common thread? Is it experimentation? Niki Sperou:I choose to work with materials which best suit my concepts and although this may call for experimentation, it is not experimentation simply for the sake of being experimental. Materials have a certain ousia which speaks. I am always open to learning new processes and working with new materials but do not discard what I already have learned; I find that I am developing an idiosyncratic visual vocabulary through the layering of concepts, materials, and processes. However, I am a naturally curious and like to understand how things work and what it means to be in the world. Working within laboratories, I hack the tools, protocols, and processes of science, primarily to critique novel biotechnologies. When I tinker with living organisms I come to understand their actions. I am fascinated by their response to my manipulations, that they have their own agency even within a Petri dish. I suppose to experiment is to try to understand things better. Q: What enticed you to create works via the medium of Biotechnology, in the first instance? Niki Sperou: Many things; since my adolescent years I had a passion for art, biology, Greek culture and language, and had ecological concerns. As an art student in 2001, the notion of the monstrous linked all the above themes and these were expressed by the term Chimera; the hybrid creature of ancient Greece, the transgenic organism of Biotechnology, and the fanciful idea or image which I extend to making art objects. With biotechnology we are ultimately aiming to extend the body beyond current limits and perhaps toward immortality. In Greece, trying to capture the impossible is defined as ‘chasing chimeras’. Secondly, metaphors and visual puns prevail in my work. Expressing themes to do with Biotechnology has been a longstanding focus and early work was always metaphorical. Forms and colours were fleshy and layered with biological substances; rice, eggs, flowers, blood, leather, pig bits. The next step was DIY Biotechnology. I referenced children’s science encyclopaedia and reworked simple experiments, again making metaphors to bioethics and bio-politics. After participating in the first Bio-tech art workshop at the EAF conducted by Oron Catts and Garry Cass in 2003, I was enticed to go into the laboratory. Q: Why do you use living organisms to create bio-art? Niki Sperou: Working with living organisms creates a new type of realism. I still make use of metaphor in my work, however living organisms communicate something more visceral and direct. They are Corpo[Realities]. Q. You have worked in other art-forms, as I have noted above, but you are perhaps most well-known for Bio-tech artwork. You have exhibited regularly since 2001, your work including a solo exhibition for the AusBio-tech 2003 Convention and a short video shown at Heath Bunting’s DIY DNA DAY in London (2004). You have also written about Bio-tech arts. In your text Verisimilitude: Biotechnology and Ancient Greek Narrative for the publication Art in the Bio-tech Era you explore themes which link your interest in contemporary technological innovations, the body, and your cultural background. You have conducted scientific classification workshops for students, and have been core group coordinator, presenter, and exhibitor in With the body and mind, Art & Science event at Flinders Medical Centre in 2007. You have exhibited at the Experimental Art Foundation in 2009, for the exhibition Bio-tech Art – Revisited and conducted a workshop for the same event. You have indeed become one of the most active participants on the Bio-tech art scene. Or in other words, one of the leaders in the field of bio (tech) arts. Can you describe your perception of the experience of providing leadership to the art world, if you feel that this is the case? Niki Sperou: I first began working on the theme of Biotechnology and art, in 2001 whilst at art school, before it became a well-recognised genre. Some of my supervisors found it difficult to accept the connection between art and biotechnology as a relevant field for investigation and advised that my work should take another direction. My area of interest was the bio-political, economic, cultural, and ecological implications of scientific innovations. Apart from Patricia Piccinini, I was unaware of others working within this context at the time. Unlike me, Piccinini did not work with organic materials. It was not until the conVerge exhibition at the 2002 Adelaide Festival of Arts Biennial that I became aware of SymbioticA. Through workshops and events at the EAF, I met Oron Catts & Gary Cass and others such as Eduardo Kac & Heath Bunting. It has been exciting to see the growth of this genre and the expanding awareness it has generated amongst the science and arts communities. Now that my work has been associated with Bio-tech art for several years, I increasingly find that other artists come to me for technical support and/or advice in this area. Further to this, the EAF commissioned the Bio-tech workshop which I led in 2009. I prefer to see myself as an early advocate and participant within a growing Bio-tech arts community, rather than consider hierarchical terms such as leader. I’ve always believed in inclusivity and introducing people to science through empirical experience. This appeals to me. Q: At the EAF in Adelaide in 2009 we saw your work “Man a Plant”, exploring the aesthetics and cultural poetics of vegetal micro bacterial chimera. What enticed you to do this work? How did you see the whole situation, and what were the constraints in putting it together? Can you define your subjective experience when creating this work? How did you perceive the work? How did you feel interacting with it? Niki Sperou: Man A Plant: Drawings, lidded glass plates, Vitis Vinifera cell culture, six giclee prints, and light boxes. This work is informed by recent scientific developments in the differentiation of mammalian stem cells in culture and the text Man A Machine and Man A Plant by Julien Offray de la Mettrie, first published in 1747. In his text La Mettrie stresses similarities between the working of plants and humans. During my residency at Flinders University Department of Medical Biotechnology, I learned that almost all plant cells are stem cells, providing plants with the innate ability to rejuvenate themselves. Their cells can differentiate into new parts or entirely new plants. With recent developments in medical biotechnology, specifically the application of differentiated stem cells to potentially repair damaged human tissue, the similarities between humans and plants are further emphasised. (As an aside to this, Vitus Vinifera (grape) is a known antioxidant which is believed to prevent some forms of cancer. The Flinders University department of Medical Biotechnology is currently working with this culture. The work Man A Plant for the Bio-tech Art Revisited exhibition 2009 was produced there utilising plant cell tissue culture and aseptic technique. This was the second iteration of the work for exhibition.) The situation: I see this as a wonderful opportunity to extend life by harvesting and reintroducing the body’s own stem cells to facilitate repair thus avoiding issues which are currently problematic or controversial. Problems avoided are; the current lack of transplant organs, the rejection of donor organs and the drugs required to avoid possible rejection, the use of foetal stem cells and the use of animal organs for transplantation. There is potential to return to a golden age (as described in ancient Greek text), where the body does not experience decline. However, this brings forth other ethical questions. Can the world sustain a population that is greater due to longevity? Is it in our interest for certain individuals to live longer? Does this disrupt the natural balance of things? Constraints: Live cells are ephemeral and therefore this work needs to be recreated each time it is shown. In the lab the Vitis Vinifera culture can be kept viable through transference of callus explants to fresh nutrient media within an aseptic environment. In the exhibition space this is not possible. The live cells propagate for a while but are allowed to go into decline and eventually die within a matter of weeks. Subjective experience in creating the work: With the 2009 Biotech Art - Revisited exhibition, I found the deadline for exhibition quite stressful due to delays in the autoclave department at the Flinders Medical Centre. Careful programming is crucial to coordinate preparation of the various components of the work. There was plenty of healthy Vitus Vinifera tissue culture, the laminar flow cabinet was booked, and other materials were heat sterilized and ready. Unfortunately, there was an unplanned breakdown and maintenance of the gas flush autoclave. Components promised well ahead of time were not ready until midday, the day before the exhibition opening. Had I known that the components would not be ready on time, as promised; I could have used an alternative type of sterilisation for the heat sensitive components. This delay resulted in a frenzy of media preparation, pouring, embedding, casting and explant transfer. Something which should comfortably have been done over a couple of days was done in a hurry and in one marathon session. Consequently, the media was not allowed to cool uncovered in the laminar flow cabinet and was lidded while still warm. The result was excess condensation on the lid of the work making it difficult to view. The digital images which are shown alongside the ‘living’ works are a point of reference for work that is subject to change. They proved crucial for deciphering of the contents hidden beneath a steamy veil. I was relieved to get the work safely into the exhibition space and cradled onto the light boxes. I don’t know who wrote “vegetal micro bacterial” in relation to this work. I don’t know what they mean by vegetal micro bacteria. I think this was written by someone who didn’t quite understand the proposal. Grape callus was used in this work, but it never contained bacteria (let alone vegetal ones) until it was shown at the EAF in 2009 (after this description was written). The presentation at EAF was accidentally contaminated with bacteria and fungus. Possibly someone removed some covers and exposed the work which was produced in an aseptic environment. That it contained bacteria was not intentional and in my view was bad science. Does this matter in an art context? Yes and no. Yes, because this was not the intention of the work. No, because in the real-world things go wrong. Shit happens. Q: The themes with which you work are artistic and cultural. You have also ventured with your work in the field of Bio-politics. The title of your work “Man a Plant” enters the more general concerns of Bio-politics. Are you indeed interested in Bio-political issues? Niki Sperou: Absolutely. My work is absolutely Bio-political. Early work such as 300:2, Gene Patents-Bio Piracy?, Pinstriped suit and Golden Rice, the video GMO Cook Up for Heath Bunting’s ‘DIY DNA Day’ as well as Man A Plant all project into the Bio-political. Ethics, ownership/bio-colonialism, environmental concerns, transparency/visibility, how we submit to power structures and how we impose power, the right to life and how we live it, are all of concern. During my workshop, I have considered these underlying themes. Opening the laboratory to the public to demystify the processes which take place in this exclusive domain is one such consideration. I do not have a fixed position about all Bio-technological innovation; different issues may pertain to different value systems. I attempt to have a multi-faceted understanding of an argument and sometimes find that my opinion changes according to deliberation and familiarity. Q: Does Bio-tech arts provide any specific metaphors you are using, and you would like to share with us? Niki Sperou: Bio-tech arts propose manipulated things; things which express some kind of intervention. They are usually alive, wet, and messy. These things are often hybrid and as mentioned earlier the concept of the ‘Chimera’ suggests strong metaphors in my work. When perceived as monstrous they represent things which are extra, deficient, or out of kilter. They allude to the transversal of boundaries. They might represent fluid ideas and processes or misunderstandings. They are things which are under development, experimental, that require reflection and understanding. They represent new possibilities and new realities. Q: Can you summarize the concepts you have historically explored through your work? Niki Sperou: I have explored the concepts of; identity, hybridity, the monstrous, cultural diversity, purity & pollution, ecology, making the invisible visible, ethics and Bio-politics, making links to historical texts and practices (in particular those of ancient Greece) in order to evaluate contemporary issues, colonialism and biocolonialism, the potential of the body. Q: Are you also interested in extending the possibilities of the physical body? Niki Sperou: Until now, I have not been interested in extending the possibilities of MY physical body, but I am interested in the extension of the physical body…there is a difference. In the future I don’t know. Q: Bio-tech artwork is after all an artistic and aesthetic experience. How concerned are you with the physical appearance of the artwork itself? Niki Sperou: Concept is a priority within my work, however as a trained artist I find that aesthetic choices seep into process. For example, if I want to communicate with clarity the outcome should not be chaotic. I must stress that I do not seek to promote science through the production of beautiful images. Q: When thinking about positioning your artwork in the gallery, are you concerned with directing the viewer in terms of navigating through the artwork, as well as directing his gaze. Niki Sperou: It depends on the work. I have written a short text about the art of artefact display and am aware that display techniques have profound effect on the reading of a work. Q: How important is the idea of aesthetics for you? Niki Sperou: It is unavoidable. Q: How successful are you in collaborating with art institutions and research centres? Niki Sperou: I think I am quite successful on the local level. I have collaborated with EAF, several departments at the Flinders University, RiAus, the South Australian Museum and Craft South. There are national and international opportunities which remain untapped. Q: Can you tell me in what sort of collaborative work practices you have been engaged with e.g. with scientists? What does the process of collaboration mean for you? Niki Sperou: There are several types of collaboration, but the common thread is that there should be some form of exchange between parties. For me it is a fluid thing which does not necessarily need to result in a short term finished outcome. Types of collaborative practices I have engaged in: There is collaboration with art and science institutions that provide support, offer participation and production of events. E.g. with EAF; workshop, exhibitions, symposia, text writing, workshop production & leader, networking opportunities. -with Flinders University; artist-in-residence Medical Biotechnology since 2006; for Flinders Medical Centre Arts in Health program, solo exhibition, With the body in mind public event as core group co-ordinator, speaker and exhibitor. -with Royal Institution of Science Australia (RiAus); supporter of With the body in mind Flinders University (2007) and Bio-tech Art revisited EAF (2009) projects. I delivered the concept and collaborated in the Khimea; Living Alchemy (2010) exhibition as well as developed and curated Domestic +Science (2012). Artist residency: The artist’s residency at the Flinders University Dept of Medical Biotechnology provides first-hand experience of a science laboratory. I attend lab meetings and have been taught lab safety and lab techniques, for example how to grow what I want to grow and how to avoid what I do not. I am free to observe projects which I find of interest and to respond to them as I wish, providing I do not breach lab protocols. In turn, scientists have responded that I have broadened their perception of ‘what art is’. A recent development is that I have been asked to participate in a PhD candidate’s project. It is too early to predict an outcome. Educational outcome: The Bio-tech arts workshop for EAF produced by Dr Lisa Schmidt and I was adopted as a model for teaching first year Biotechnology students. During student presentations I have advised against the use of counter intuitive models. I have reported on science/arts symposia that I have attended, and the types of projects other artists and scientists are engaging in. I suggested a water saving protocol for cleaning equipment which has now been adopted. I have introduced some new networking opportunities. Q: Since 2006, you have been Artist in Residence at the Department of Medical Biotechnology, Flinders University. Are the Biotech experiments you have done recognized amongst scientific circles? Niki Sperou: No Q: Is there a possibility for improvement of the collaboration models we have now between arts and sciences? Niki Sperou: There are some artists who believe that we should not make work with a view to benefit science organisations. Others such as Vicki Sowry, Director of ANAT, support projects that represent reciprocal benefit for artists and scientists working together. Within my lab it has been expressed that they are content with the publicity and public exposure that the department receives through the residency and the exhibition of my work. As mentioned earlier I see collaboration as a fluid thing which does not need to yield immediate outcomes. I believe that long-term collaborations can lead to future unexpected possibilities. Q: You have always been aware about the context in which processes take place. Does the fact that you live and work in Australia, but are of a Greek origin, have any specific context with your work? The influences are perhaps most visible with the concept of ‘Chimeras’ which you explore, one that perhaps alludes to concepts of cultural hybridity. Niki Sperou: Growing up between cultures I experienced things from multiple perspectives and sometimes these conflicted with each other. I had to navigate between the two and that is why I consider myself a hybrid, a cultural chimera. Feeling like an outsider from a young age has given me the resilience to work in an institution that is outside of my formal educational expertise. Q: What project would you like to be remembered by? Niki Sperou: I think this is yet to come. Q: Do you believe that your work as artists has been criticized adequately. Critics’ can be unsympathetic to artists and curators. Have you felt that some of the criticisms you got in your career were undeserved and hostile? Niki Sperou: I did experience hostile criticism when I exhibited at the AusBio-tech 2003 exhibition. The audience consisted mainly of scientists and venture capitalists. I presented a work called Gene Patents- Bio piracy?, which questioned the ethics of gene ownership through patenting. Although I presented an artist statement which covered both the benefits and concerns related to Bio-technological innovation and the related farming methods I was shunned and criticised. Some viewers left critical notes on the work. I later used these notes to make another work. If my art creates emotion and debate, I think it is doing its job. Important art should be political and address issues of the time. At other exhibitions some of my fleshy forms were considered too confronting or created fear of contamination. Q: Has the role of the artist changed with the advent of Biotechnology? Niki Sperou: I don’t think so. Artists have always reflected on or experimented with new technologies and innovations. Venturing into the lab is just another challenge. Artists working in labs need to gain the trust of their host. They also need to learn the ‘language’ and methodologies of their host. With respect to people like STELARC and Orlan, I think people have long used their body as a canvas for their work. Although their intention is for ‘art’s sake’, to examine the potential of the body and to critique the cultural implications, you might also consider that their groundbreaking explorations will inadvertently benefit society in the future…artists have driven advancements in other fields of technology too. Q: You have taken part in workshops as a participant and leader. As part of the 2004 Art of the Bio-tech Era project produced by the Experimental Art Foundation you have participated in workshops by internationally renowned Biotech artists Oron Catts and Eduardo Kac. In 2009, as a part of the Biotech Art – Revisited project the Experimental Art Foundation has organized a workshop: Vital micro-ecologies: splice, dice, duplicate. The workshop was led by you and hosted by the Department of Medical Biotechnology at Flinders University. All the above-mentioned workshops had the aim that they serve as a theoretical and practical introduction in the creation of Bio-tech art, inspiring the participants with concepts relevant to broader ethical and philosophical concerns. Can you tell me, from your perspective, what were the essential similarities and differences between the three workshops? Niki Sperou: The first workshop by Oron Catts and Gary Cass was presented in a makeshift ‘lab’ at the EAF. It was a hands-on introduction to simple lab processes. Due to venue constraints, there was a makeshift feel to the program. The gel media was pre-prepared and the DNA electrophoresis machine which is used to separate DNA according to the size of particles was run with food colour as a substitute, as DNA could not be transported from Perth due to customs regulations. Rather than a laminar flow cabinet to keep work aseptic we worked within a Perspex shield. Already working from a DIY perspective, I found the workshop truly engaging. Catts provided a simplified introduction to tissue culture techniques used to produce the Extra Ear ¼ scale Project which was on exhibition at the EAF gallery. Workshop participants were able to take part in the “killing of the ear ceremony”, something which Heath Bunting refused to take part in due to his anti GMO standpoint. During the lecture on Bio-tech arts, Catts discussed the bioethical implications of the work. Highly critiqued was the work of Eduardo Kac. Workshop participants such as Heath Bunting, Anna Munster and Boo Chapel were exceptionally interesting individuals who added their take on the subject. I think the idea that things can be produced either DIY or with limitations is very empowering. The Eduardo Kac workshop offered a series of theoretical lectures and discussions based on the ideologies of consciousness and ethics in relation to the use of live media in an art context. As an introduction to the group, participants, mostly emerging artists, were encouraged to share the projects they were currently working on. Lecture notes were provided to participants prior to the workshop, and these were discussed within the group. Topics covered included Cartesian theory and Thomas Nagel’s text, What’s it like to be a bat? was examined to affirm that consciousness is subjective, and this gives rise to ethical dilemmas for those working with live media. Kac began the workshop with a historical overview of artists working with living organisms. The second lecture followed with the themes of Art and ecology. Kac saw ‘life as a medium to be moulded’ but stressed that there should be an awareness of the ethical implications of working with live media. From my point of view Kac seemed disappointed with the participant’s lack of theoretical knowledge and the simplicity of their comments. The Bio-tech revisited workshop at the Flinders University Department of Medical Biotechnology was part of the EAF Bio-tech revisited project. The workshop was devised by Dr Lisa Schmidt and myself. It provided an authentic experience of a fully functioning laboratory for workshop participants. For a week they were able to use the apparatus available to scientists. The workshop tutorials were structured to provide context for those interested in bioethics and Bio-politics. Relevant ethical issues were raised throughout the workshops. Specific discussion sessions to do with bioethics were scheduled as were lectures addressing the use of GMO’s and ethics clearance for GMO’s. Multiple lab personnel were engaged in the workshop allowing both artists and scientists to gain an understanding of each other. One scientist mentioned that the workshop to do with language led him to recognize that there were greater similarities between an artist and scientist than he had imagined. A workshop participant said, ‘the workshop gave a new awareness of the body’. All three workshops contained an artist’s talk where the presenter spoke about their own work and the work of other artists working in the field of Biotech arts. Each of the workshops offered a different experience from a somewhat different trajectory, DIY, theoretical and formal. I was fortunate to have participated in all three. Q: Do you also curate Bio-tech art exhibitions? Niki Sperou: Yes Q: Art institutions, especially in the new media arts sector (and even more so in the arts/science sector) face numerous issues, many of which are of a funding nature (which can be seen as substantial cornerstones of the art programs) including plain survival. Organisations go about this in numerous different ways, and very often their approaches include attempting to get support from international arts foundations (such as in the case of Soros Foundations, Ford Foundation, etc.), corporate or private donations (various banks), complexities of private/public ventures, and other municipal or governmental funding sources. What is your experience with finding external funding? Niki Sperou: I have limited experience with external funding. Perhaps the ephemeral nature and difficulties with transportation of Bio-tech art makes funding problematic. Perhaps this makes attracting external funding difficult. Q: Do you find it an inner necessity to express yourself in the different roles of artist, writer, curator, and workshop leader? Niki Sperou: No, not a necessity but I am always willing to take on new roles and experiences. I think this creates greater understanding and the various roles enrich one’s practice. Q: What do you think of the situation today for young and emerging artists/ curators in the field of Bio-tech arts? Niki Sperou: As the genre develops, I think there will be increasingly more opportunities available for artists and curators. I expect master classes and symposia such as the ‘Superhuman Revolution of the Species’ are exposing more people to the field of Bio-tech arts. Q: Bio-tech art seems to have a stronghold in the Anglo-Saxon countries. Is there any reason why this is the case? Niki Sperou: I can only suggest Anglo–Saxon countries find the notion of Biotech art to be an engaging and relatively novel concept due to the fusion of what have long been two disparate forms of knowledge; art and science. I think this is to do with the Anglo-Saxon embrace of Enlightenment theory; since the Enlightenment scientific theory has long been aligned with rational thinking and considered above other arts. Other countries, for example Asian, traditionally have more of a holistic view of knowledge. The separation between art, culture and science has not been particularly evident and therefore bringing the ideas of art, science and the body are perhaps not considered novel. Q: What does the situation look like now in terms of major projects in Bio-tech arts in South Australia, or Australia in general? Are there any new significant artists/projects? Niki Sperou: Firstly, in Adelaide and Australia I think there has been a significant loss of support for the Bio-tech arts since you left for Europe. Nevertheless, RiAus is an emerging organisation that provides support for arts and science collaborations. ANAT and the Australia Council still support through their Synapse program. In Perth, there is SymbioticA which continues to educate new artists in this field. Q: What do you think of the state that Bio-tech Art is today internationally? Niki Sperou: According to email networks it seems to be a growing field. Q: How is bio-tech arts supported? What is the role of the private and international foundations in this respect? Do Australia Council and other arts councils have a favourable grants policy for Bio-tech arts? Niki Sperou: Bio-tech arts are usually supported through grants. I think the Australia Council sponsors the Synapse residency. Q: How is the art market responding to Bio-tech artworks, if at all? Niki Sperou: The ephemeral nature of Bio-tech arts, transport and customs restrictions are a problem. These make commoditisation difficult. Q: What is the state of art criticism about Bio-tech arts? Niki Sperou: I was amused at the title of the Adelaide Festival biennial, “Before and after science”. I think it speaks for itself. Q: You have exhibited at the EAF for “Bio-tech Art – Revisited” in 2009. What are your overall impressions from this exhibition? Niki Sperou: I thought it was an excellent project showcasing a variety of overlapping conceptual frameworks. This was evident during both the exhibition and artist talks. Q: Is there any place for Bio-tech arts at the international art market? Have you been able to sell your Bio-tech artwork? Niki Sperou: No, I have not been able to sell my work. I think that documentation of works is saleable. Christo was a master at selling the documentation of ephemeral works. Q: The world economy is in a very bad shape today. We have seen that the credit crunch is affecting all segments of society, and have witnessed political changes in America, Australia, which saw the neoconservative ideology and politics retreat substantially. Is this paralleled in the domain of arts or is arts a refuge island in regard to the general state of crisis we are witnessing today? Niki Sperou: I mentioned environmental concerns early in the interview. I think this is the most pressing issue today. I anticipate more art works concerning the environmental crisis.