Chromosome 22
Corporations and academics offered the first interpretation of the human genome on Thursday, February 15, 2001, but disagreed about the best strategy for decoding. We wish to offer another map to ourselves: Chromosome 22 provides users with other ways to organize and understand how genes result from a set of social relations, personal practices, and technical practices.
What does the genome mean? Rival groups, corporate and academic, will offer the first interpretations of the human genome on Thursday, February 15, 2001. Not, however, without dispute; neither can agree about the best strategy for decoding. In response to this event, we wish to offer another version.
As nature and culture, technology and biology, are integrated in the methods, practices, and metaphors of modern molecular biology, we need new tools to engage in other interpretations. Other maps to ourselves. As academics and artists we seek to utilize the relationship between art and new media to open this space.
Chromosome 22 provides users with numerous other ways to organize and understand how genes result from a set of social relations and personal and technical practices. By re/producing these interactions, we hope to allow users to create a multiplicity of mappings of biological knowledge and, in so doing, to explore and visualize possible alternatives to the present path of scientific development.