Bio-Calibrated symposium

The Bio-Calibrated: Tools and Techniques of Biodesign Practices Symposium welcomes projects, questions, speculations and provocative solutions that position themselves within the given themes as well as others that might define their own conceptual territory in relation to this new multidisciplinary creative field.

Biodesign is a recent discipline that manipulates living matter and translates scientific discoveries and methods into real-world applications. Through this open call, we seek exemplary representations that open inquiry into the interdisciplinary experimental methods of manipulation with biological systems for design purposes. Although some specialization and knowledge has emerged from working with specific organisms such as algae, mycelium and bacteria for example; the variety and vastness of the natural sciences require a greater understanding of the intricacies of the collaborative nature and interrelationships between lab protocols, scientific tools and methods and the tools and techniques for design production.

The Biodesign discipline is broad in scale and scope, reaching towards solving complex ecological issues such as climate breakdown, pollution, biodiversity loss and social justice. Issues where existing tools, software and equipment can’t seem to assist within existing formats.  As a result, the ingenuity of biodesigners to adapt, transform and invent new interdisciplinary methods is an emerging space. We are looking at presenting and discussing the invention of new technical skills, toolkits and machines that allow for propagation, monitoring, decomposition, bioremediation, extraction, manipulation, simulation and extermination of living systems for the advancement of the discipline of Biodesign.

We aim at gathering recent work that is reconfiguring the boundaries of disciplines presenting hybridization of frameworks for integration of scientific methods and design processes that can range from bespoke bioreactors, incubators, bio printing machines, software, imaging for research, documentation, and representation.

Tracks
Disruptive Modes of Biodesign Practice and Pedagogy / Grown/Living Materials and Production and Methods / Carbon-Positive Design / Lab Grown Food or Systems / Bio Printing Methods / Human/Non Human Interfaces / Biocentric Agriculture / Biodigital Systems and Environments / Bio-Data Visualization and Representation / Biodesign and Human Health / Bio Craft Tools and Equipment / Historical, Theoretical and Critical Analysis of Biodesign and Production / Circular Design / Climate Justice and Eco-Activism

Deadlines
Submissions: August 31, 2023
Notice of acceptance: September 30, 2023
Revised and formatted materials due: October 15, 2023

Publication
The symposium presentations will be invited for publication at Journal Research Directions: Biotechnology Design “Bio-calibrated: tools and techniques of biodesign practices”. 

Published online by Cambridge University Press. Edited by Nancy Diniz, Course Leader MA Biodesign at Central Saint Martins.

Short Papers
Submissions (2,000 words excluding references) are invited for submission. Accepted papers will be invited to be presented in-person or online at the symposium. Short paper submissions will be blind peer reviewed. Please visit the website for more details.

Projects
We are requesting a video format submission for the Projects call category. Projects will be published digitally on the symposium website. Submissions will be peer reviewed and selected submissions may be invited to be presented in the plenary sessions and/or participate in a discussion panel during the symposium.

Video submission guidelines:
HD 1920x1080, up to 2 minutes duration. Format submision must be in MPEG format (file extension .mp4). Please upload the video submission to Vimeo /YouTube. Please visit the website for more details.

Registration
Registration opens from October 1 to November 29, 2023.
Accepted submissions will require one registration fee.

Professionals: GBP 150.00 / Students: GBP 75.00
 

Organizers
Symposium Chairs: Nancy Diniz, Course Leader MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins / Carole Collet, Professor in Design for Sustainable Futures and Maison/0 Director at Central Saint Martins / Dr Lorraine Archer, Associate Lecturer in Environmental Science MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins / Dr Alejandro Luna, Associate Lecturer in Biodiversity, Sustainability and Innovation MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins / Dr Alice Taylor, Lecturer in Biology and Living Systems MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins

Projects and Exhibition Chairs: Thora Arnardottir, Associate Lecturer In Interdisciplinary Studios MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins / Jon Flint, Lecturer in Design and Fabrication MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins / Lucrezia Alessandroni, Visiting Practitioner MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins

Organizational Team: Scott Ramsay Kyle, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator for Programme Enhancement, Jewellery, Textiles and Materials (JTM), Central Saint Martins / Sinead Butt, JTM External Liaison Coordinator, Central Saint Martins / Gigi Coley, JTM Course Support Administrator, Central Saint Martins