Biotech Art and Code: Patterns and Sound

GR - Graduate

Biotech Art and Code: Patterns and Sound introduces students to the creative intersections of art, biotechnology, and generative algorithms, exploring how Cellular Automata and DNA coding can inspire new forms of artistic expression. In this project-research-based course, students will investigate concepts of growth, decay, and self-organization, working in a collaborative environment with faculty and visiting artists.

Using tools like TouchDesigner and Max/MSP, students will step into the field of creative coding, with no prior coding knowledge required. Pre-made code and accessible templates will support students as they develop an individual project inspired by the class's collective explorations. Through the incorporation of algorithmic methods, students will explore immersive sound design to complement their visual and conceptual work, adding a multi-sensory layer to the bio-inspired art they create.

Guided by influential works such as John Conway's Game of Life, Joe Davis's DNA Manifolds, Ira Fleming's Gene Music, and Daniel Shiffman's The Nature of Code, students will engage in a unique journey, merging biological and algorithmic principles to expand their creative horizons.

No prerequisites are required--just curiosity and an openness to explore how sound, life sciences, and code converge in art.