ESC: BioArt Village - Solidarity (April/May)

Hidden in a green realm in Eindhoven lies BioArt Laboratories, a repurposed historical military complex in a dense forest. The cradle of many award winning innovations. It is a refreshing place where things are done differently. A place, unfinished, unpolished, provocative and alive.

At this location we are challenging the anthropocentric perspectives on economy, habitation and land by adopting key principles of the Symbiocene. The Symbiocene revolves around ecological and evolutionary thinking of the interconnectedness of life and all living things. Such symbioses are in stark contrast with current human influence and increasing dominance of climatic, biophysical and evolutionary processes.

BioArt Laboratories is an international orientated non-profit foundation, part of the basic national infrastructure of institutions, directly funded by the Dutch government. We specialise in the development of social and artistic projects that orientate on sustainability, innovation and the environment. Notably, we explore the boundaries between nature, science and art/culture with a hands-on approach and linking the old with the new, as this combination leads to new insights and surprising results.

Our mission is to stimulate and facilitate a new generation of talents to engage social issues through the combination of biotechnology and the arts/design, with a hands-on multidisciplinary approach. BioArt Laboratories believes that social dialogue, solidarity and cross-border exploration is important to society and (social)innovation towards a better world, especially in an era where biotechnology takes an ever-increasing role in sustainability solutions. By providing these talents the room to explore and experiment with what is currently possible on crossover disciplines and interchanging perspectives, a new generation is nurtured whose creations can bring new ways of thinking and innovation. BioArt Laboratories wants to consolidate her experience and extend it to young international aspirants in Europe, who want to immerse themselves in new social practices and grow both personally and professionally.