2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

To what extent does Patricia Piccinini challenge our perspective on the ethics of bioengineering?

2002) Thus, potentially this practice of bioengineering is not as simple as right and wrong, but far more multi-faceted.

Analysis of The Bond (2016)

Fig. 3 The Bond Sculpture 2016

silicone, fibreglass, human hair, clothing 162cm H x 56 x 50cm

Alongside ideas of genetically modifying organisms for resources, Piccinini explores the possibility that humans may form relationships or a “bond” with these creatures. The Bond (2016) being one of her more recent pieces also gained mass recognition, being displayed in galleries all over Australia from GOMA in Brisbane to the Tolarno Galleries in Melbourne (Piccinini, 2019). Using materials silicon, fibreglass, human hair and clothing this life-size sculpture is impressively realistic featuring “the relationship between a mother and a transgenic child” (Piccinini, 2016). The purpose of this piece is to inquire the way in which the evolution of technology will interfere with not only what we deem as ‘normal’ or ‘ordinary’ but also relationships and familial structures (Piccinini, 2016). Piccinini described this piece to be ambiguous, relating to the nature of humans/life; in other words, this piece has a variety of unique interpretations (Piccinini, 2016). An interesting and effective choice in this piece was to compose the

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