M.E.A.R.T. - Multi-Electrode Array Art."'MEART – The Semi Living Artist' is a geographically detached, bio-cybernetic research and development project exploring aspects of creativity and artistry in the age of new biological technologies. It was developed and hosted by SymbioticA - The Art & Science Collaborative Research Lab, University of Western Australia.
MEART is an installation distributed between two (or more) locations in the world. Its “brain” consists of cultured nerve cells that grow and live in a neuro-engineering lab, in Georgia institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA (Dr. Steve Potter's lab). Its 'body' is a robotic drawing arm that is capable of producing two-dimensional drawings. The 'brain' and the 'body' will communicate in real time with each other for the duration of the exhibition.
MEART is assembled from:
'Wetware' – neurons from embryonic rat cortex grown over a Multi Electrode Array.
'Hardware' – the robotic drawing arm
'Software' – that interfaces between the wetware and the hardware.
The Internet is used to mediate between its components and overcome its geographical detachment.
MEART is suggesting future scenarios where humans will create/grow/manufacture intuitive and creative 'thinking entities' that could be intelligent and unpredictable beings. They may be created by humans for anthropocentric use, but as they will be creative and unpredictable they might not necessarily stay the way they were originally intended."
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coooooooooooool! I want one as a pet!
