WhiteFeather was artist-in-residence at SymbioticA Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts at the University of Western Australia, for 15 weeks, beginning May 1, 2014. During this time, WhiteFeather also lectured at UWA as guest lecturer for the course, Aesthetics Crossover of Art & Science led by Dr Ionat Zurr. Additionally, WhiteFeather showed her work in a group exhibition, Material/ Immaterial with Audrey Bester and Emily Parsons-Lord at ARTLAAB, the gallery of the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts (UWA).

Research Project: Crafting Biotextiles

Crafting Biotextiles is a project which aimed to explore the application of textile pattern + structural integrity to the construction of organic matrices for use in tissue engineering. Manually fostering cell culture growth on traditional, aesthetic textile forms speaks to the intersection of hands-on wet biology practices with creative craft processes. 3D-printed weaving tools remain as part of the living cultures after practical use, as an integral and conceptual part of the overall laboratory apparatus: a comment on materiality as well as the agency and haptic intelligence of microbiological systems to design themselves in cooperation with intentional/artistic human design.

Also, as part of her research at SymbioticA, WhiteFeather was welcomed by Stelarc to work at Alternate Anatomies Lab at Curtin University.

Funding support:

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada
• artsnb (New Brunswick Arts Board, Canada)
• Concordia University (Canada)
• Private Donors: Peter Steggall, Alison Short, Joan Peddle, Cathy Gillis, Erica Stanley, Betty Hunter, Yolande & Lee Clark, Jennica Lounsbury, Carol Green, Sonny Assu, Mireille Bourgeois, Elliott Rajnovic, Kerri-Lynn Reeves, Barbara Layne, Pauline McClusky, Mireille Eagan, Renee Laprise, Allison Green, Rebecca Smyth, Jane Adams, Ingrid Bachmann, Kelly Thompson, Matthew Thomson, Amanda Ruiz, Monica Lacey, Hannah Givler, Julie Whittaker, Fabiola Martinez, John MacDermid, Ann Manuel, Laura Maynard, Karen LeBlanc

Period of research: May – August 2014

Visit WhiteFeather’s extensive residency research blog, here.

View part of WhiteFeather’s project on the Alternate Anatomies Lab website, here.

More information on the SymbioticA website, here.