There is a consensus among scientists that biology will be the science of the twenty-first century just as physics was the science of the twentieth century. This belief underscores the significant role bioscience has played in recent decades and is predicted to play in both the immediate and far-reaching future. The biosciences have brought us to the brink of an exciting era of possibilities.
VISUAL CUTLURE AND BIOSCIENCE: AN ONLINE SYMPOSIUM is a timely and relevant exploration of the enlocked relationship between the biosciences and the domain of art. Today, artists invested in scientific discourse contribute greatly to a vital, multidisciplinary discussion.
In the spring of 2007, the Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences joined with the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in creating a virtual meeting place for experts from a range of disciplines. Derived from the virtual discussion, this text is a marker of the current dialogue surrounding the relationship between the science lab and the art studio. It is also a record of the actual practitioners who are engaged in art/science practices and considers the future relationship between the disciplines.
Major funding for the symposium was provided by Ralph S. O'Connor and the Marian and Speros Martel Foundation.