Early in 2024, the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib) announced an open call for an artist in residence for the ARTcib SciArt Residency at three academic partners of the acib academic partner network. The open call had an overwhelming response of 153 submissions by artists and art collectives worldwide.

An international and interdisciplinary jury has now chosen London-based multimedia artist Kristina Pulejkova for the residency. The residency will take place starting from summer 2024 and will culminate in an artistic production to be presented at an international group exhibition in 2025 in Venice. The residency and exhibition are curated by Dr. Claudia Schnugg, and the residency is facilitated by Sonja Schachinger.

"I am thrilled that my idea resonated with the jury and can’t wait to immerse myself in the brilliant research across the three institutes at acib. I look forward to starting my residency in Vienna, exploring the nature of yeasts as transformative agents with all three labs involved, and being inspired by the conversations with leading researchers in the field," says Pulejkova.

Pulejkova's project, titled "The Metabolic Guide to Space Survival," captivated the jury with its imaginative integration of scientific research from the three host laboratories and its thematic focus on space art, space travel, and environmental constraints in extreme environments. The jury praised the project for its elegant connection of themes, showcasing a high level of imagination and playfulness, and its coherent description and conceptualization. They expect the project to stimulate critical discourse with the audience and provide clear scientific engagement opportunities for researchers throughout the residency.

The residency will take place at the Metabolic and Cell Engineering group at BOKU University Vienna, the Research Group Biochemistry at Technische Universität Wien, and the Biochemical Network Analysis Group at the University of Vienna. Through the ARTcib program, acib aims to foster new insights at the intersection of science and art, leveraging current research with interdisciplinary discourses and exhibition programs in collaboration with curators and artists.

The jury for the residency included Annick Bureaud (director of Leonardo Olats, curator, and art critic), Prof. Dr. Barbara Imhof (LIQUIFER, Professor of Integrative Design), Prof. Dr. Diethard Mattanovich (Professor of Microbial Biotechnology), Prof. Dr. John Morrissey (Professor of Microbiology), and Dr. Claudia Schnugg. With the ARTcib residency, acib not only aims to merge scientific and artistic endeavors but also to push the boundaries of both fields through collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts. This residency promises to yield innovative and thought-provoking works that challenge conventional perspectives on both science and art.

More info on ARTcib Artist in Residence