The BCL is an artistic research framework that aims to explore the relations, congruences and différances of biological and cultural codecs through artistic interventions, social hacking and basic research.

BCL is interested in the relationship between art and science in general, and between media art and bio science in particular. The interest is not so much in the new possibilities of artistic expressions, that the emerging biotechnologies make possible, but rather in the social implications that the widespread adoption and application of biotechnology will create.

The research of the BCL is speculative and forward-looking, whereas the projects are firmly situated in the present social context and current climate. The projects aim not to be simply answers to real problems, but rather aim to be explorations of the context and systems behind the artistically and socially relevant issues.


BCLは、サイエンス、アート、デザインの領域を超えたコラボレーションを行うアーティスティック・リサーチ・フレームワーク。 2004年にGeorg Tremmel(ゲオアグ・トレメル)と福原志保によってイギリスにて立ち上げられた。2007年に活動拠点を東京に移し、InterCommunication Center[ICC]やアルスエレクトロニカなどの国内外のミュージアムやギャラリーでの展示やコラボレーションを行う。特に、バイオテクノロジーの発展が与える社会へのインパクトや、水環境問題について焦点を当てている。また、それらにクリティカルに介し、閉ざされたテクノロジーを人々に開いていくことをミッションとしている。

        
Shiho Fukuhara
Growing up in Japan, Shiho Fukuhara’s main interests were in the linguistic aspects of cultural difference, which she could research while studying and living in Europe for nearly a decade. Shiho remains a keen observer in the science, technologies, cultures, politics and functions of creative practices with focus on the influence on our everyday experiences by technological development and vice versa, and how public acceptance of ‘old’ and ‘new’ sciences are formed through communication.

She received her BA(Hons) 1st Class in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and MA(RCA) in Design Interactions at Royal College of Art in London. Shiho participated in Le Pavilion, the artistic research laboratory of Palais de Tokyo in Paris in 2004. Same year her project ‘Biopresence’ with Georg Tremmel was awarded the London Science Museum’s ‘Product of the Future’ Award, the NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and Art) Graduate Pioneer Award, the grand prize at the international Swiss Media Art festival VIPER, and the second prize at the Cambridge, UK, ‘Biology in Business – Pitch your Idea’ competition. Shiho move to Japan with Georg with an Atelier-Stipend by Austrian Government in Fujino, Kanagawa, Japan. She was an artist in residence at IAMAS (Institute for the Advancement of Media Art and Science) in Gifu, Japan. In 2008, Georg and Shiho were selected as Artist in Residence during the ISEA2008 in Singapore, working in collaboration with the NUS (National University of Singapore) on the metaphysical and social interactions of the theme-complex Water. Shiho joined to Hideo Iwasaki Lab for Molecular Cell Network and Biomedia Art, Waseda University as a visiting researcher in 2011. In 2014 Shiho joined to George Church Lab, for Genetics at Harvard Medical School as Visiting Scientist.

Her motivation is to give focal points to existing social issues with science, technology and communication through creating alternative conceptual models, strategies and approaches. Shiho’s works are often taken a form as a set of activities intertwining into known social fabrics such as biotechnology-business and water-business, which seem to be key aspects of the fabric of the 21st century. To advance her research-based approach, Shiho have formed the BCL, an artistic research framework and open collaboration platform dedicated to exploring and critically investigating the interfaces and predetermined breaking points between Art, Science, Design, Technology and Society.

2001年ロンドンのセントラル・セント・マーチンズのファインアート学士課程を第1級優等学位の成績で卒業後、2003年ロイヤル・カレッジ・オブ・アートのデザイン・インタラクションズ修士課程を終了。 同年フランス外務省給費生としてパリに滞在し、パレ・ド・トーキョーのLe Pavillonに参加。ゲオアグ・ トレメルと共に英国科学技術芸術基金のPioneers Awardを受賞し、ロンドンにBiopresence Ltdを設立した。 2007年より日本に活動拠点に移し、岐阜県のIAMASにて滞在芸術家として滞在した後、主にバイオテクノロジーの発展と水問題による社会へのインパクトと、私達の意識が自然・社会・文化それぞれの環境においていかに映し出されているのかを探索するべく、トレメルと共にBCLというアーティスティック・リサーチ・フレームワークを結成した。 以来、科学とアートとデザインの領域を超えた活動を続け、国内外で「共同バイオハッキング」などのプロジェクトを通じて「閉じられた」テクノロジーや独占市場に介入し、それらを人々に開いていくことをミッションとしている。早稲田大学 理工学術院 電気・情報生命工学科 岩崎秀雄研究室 嘱託研究員。ハーバード大学医学大学院 ジョージ・チャーチ ラボ 客員研究員

Georg Tremmel
Georg Tremmel studied Visual Media Art in Vienna and Interaction Design at the RCA, where he and Shiho formed the artistic collaborative research framework BCL. He currently works as a Researcher at the University of Tokyo's Laboratory of DNA Information Analysis.

Yuki Yoshioka
Yuki Yoshioka has graduated from Information design Department in Tama Art University, Tokyo. After graduate, He went to Berlin, Germany for Project Research & Study in 2010, and, He started artistic explorations on the relationship between biotech and information's transmission process in 2011. Yuki is an interdisciplinary Researcher / Designer / Artist, working in Japan, Tokyo.

Philipp Boeing
Philipp Boeing joined BCL in 2015, supported by a scholarship from the Heinz Nixdorf Foundation. He studied Computer Science at University College London with a focus on Synthetic Biology as part of the Computational Systems and Synthetic Biology group at UCL's Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. Philipp has been involved in iGEM (the international genetically engineered machine competition) since 2011, by leading and advising teams at UCL, hosting the UK "Young Synthetic Biologists" conference and serving as a judge in 2014. After leading a collaboration between the 2012 UCL iGEM team and a local group of London Biohackers, Philipp grew increasingly passionate about access to biotechnology in citizen science, which he explores as a member of the European DIYbio and Biocommons community and as a co-founder of bento·lab.

Education

October 2011
Project Research & Study in Berlin, Germany Universität der Künste Berlin
March 2010
BA in Information Design from Tama Art University, Japan Prof. Minato Chihiro
June 2003
MA (RCA) Interaction Design. Prof Irene McAra-McWilliams, Tony Dunne, Fiona Raby
Formerly known as Computer-Related Design (CRD), now Design Interactions (DI)
June 2001
BA(Hons) Fine Art, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design awarded with 1st Class Honor.
Mag. art in Visual Media Design, University for Applied Art in Vienna. Profs Peter Weibel & Karel Dudesek Mag. art, Visuelle Mediengestaltung, Universität für Angewandte Kunst, Wien. Mit Peter Weibel und Karel Dudesek
June 1998
BTEC Diploma Foundation Studies in Art and Design, Leeds College of Art and Design, Leeds, UK awarded with Distinction

Academic Appointments

February 2014
Visiting researcher at Iwasaki Lab at Waseda University,Tokyo
December 2013
Visiting Scientist at George Church Lab at Harvard Medical School, Boston
April 2013
Project Researcher (Systems Cancer) at the Laboratory for DNA Information Analysis, Institute of Medial Science, University of Tokyo 特任研究員 (システムがん)
June 2010
Project Researcher (GCOE) at the Laboratory for DNA Information Analysis, Institute of Medial Science, University of Tokyo

Exhibitions

August 2014
Materializing Exhibition ll 2014, CHINRETUKAN Gallery / TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS, Tokyo
May 2014
Exo Lab / White Salon AI KOKO GALLERY, Tokyo
May 2013
Open Space 2013, Part of the metaPhorest Exhibition,Tokyo. NTT ICC (Inter Communication Center)
February 2012
15th Japan Media Art Festival, The National Art Center, Tokyo
May 2009
Coded Cultures 2009 - Exploring Creative Emergences, Vienna
October 2008
Nam June Paik Award Exhibition, Köln, Germany
October 2003
Science Museum London, Product of the Future Award & Exhibition
June 2003
The Show, Royal College of Art Graduation Exhibition

Awards

October 2014
Bio Fiction "SCIENCE ART FILM FESTIVAL"2014,Film shortlisted,Vienna, Austria
September 2014
3331αArt Hack Day2014,the Judge's Award of Chiaki Hayashi, Tokyo
March 2014
Curate Award 2014,Finalist selected,Fondazione Prada and the Qatar Museums
February 2011
15th Japan Media Art Festival,Jury Selection Work,Tokyo
September 2009
Ars Electronica 2009. Honorary Mention in Hybrid Art for Common Flowers/Flower Commons
October 2004
VIPER Media Art Festival 2004 , First Prize, Basel, Switzerland
June 2004
NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) Graduate Pioneer Award. A £35,000 Investment to start-up the Bio-art venture 'Biopresence Ltd.'
October 2003
Science Museum London, Product of the Future Award & Exhibition

Residencies

January 2011
Artist-in-Residence at Iwasaki Lab at Waseda University
August 2008
International Symposium for Electronic Arts (ISEA) 2008, Artist-in-Residence at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Laboratory for Hydro-Informatics
October 2005
Artist-in-Residence at IAMAS (Institute for the Advancement of Media Art and Science) in Ogaki, Japan. 6 Months.
August 2005
Atelier-stipend from the Austrian Chancellery in Fujino, Japan. 6 Months. Atelierstipendium des österreichischen Bundeskanzleramts in Fujino, Japan. 6 Monate

Lectures

Publications

Workshops

July 2004
DIYDNADAY, Do It Yourself Desoxyribonuleine Acid Day, Bristol. Organized by Heath Bunting

Teaching

April 2011
Hardware, Software, Wetware. Tokyo University for Fine Art (Geidai), 1 Semester

Press Coverage

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