2016 | Canada | Documentary

Biotextile Craft

  • 9 mins
  • Director | WhiteFeather
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“Future craft” is an emerging genre of research-creation that encompasses a number of traditional maker methodologies, merged with the tools and methods of scientific, technological advance. This video forms a didactic visual narrative about processes of mammalian tissue engineering on hand-woven protein fibre scaffolds. This process, newly developed as part of an artistic project and named "Biotextile Craft", sits at the intersection of art and science in the transdisciplinary application of traditional craft processes to biotechnological laboratory protocols. Specifically shown is the "wet weaving" process followed by seeding cells onto the woven horsehair scaffolds. The invention and performance of new tools, new protocols, the subsequent long-term growth of new hybrid "life" forms, as well as the presentation and display of these processes and experimental results are unconventional, yet significant outputs for both science and craft.

Materials used include stereolithographic micro-looms printed with polylactic acid (PLA), handwoven horsehair, live mammalian (NIH3T3) cells and nutrient media.

Acknowledgements: Shot on location at the Pelling Laboratory for Biophysical Manipulation at the University of Ottawa, Canada by Carlos Jabbour and WhiteFeather Hunter. Special thanks to Andrew Pelling and Daniel Modulevsky. Peformed by WhiteFeather Hunter and Abi Aspen Glencross. Compiled and edited by WhiteFeather Hunter.

biotextile lab culture petri dish cell art
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