Event 4: BioArt Talks: We're All Living in the Estroworld

 

 On April 22, I had the opportunity to attend a virtual session with bioartist Mary Maggic. Maggic was well known for her study on biohacking, specifically within the spectrum of estrogen, and how estrogen is openly available within our surroundings ("About ... Official").

Mary Maggic's Mobile Lab, taken into display as art.

    The session starts with our host, Katy High, defining BioArt as an approach from the biotechnological perspective to produce art. Once transferred over to Maggic, Maggic then opens the presentation up with a quote and a question: How does the body queer on a molecular level? (Maggic). They then mention about estrogen, and how this hormone has been present within many aspects: our water, various weed killer products, birth control, and much more. This environmental estrogen, most commonly seen in the form of BPA, is being taken in in the estrogen receptor and indirectly exposing us to more and more (Jorgensen).
Maggic explaining the different structures from organic and synthetic estrogen.


This concept can then be applied to modern biology today. With increased levels of estrogen-like compounds, we have seen organisms declining in population. Maggic then refers to how frog populations are declining due to this very reason. Upon further research, I found out that the same situation occurs in fish populations too, with the male-female ratio gradually getting more imbalanced throughout the years ("Fish...Males").

Maggic's Mandala, Showing Structure Midst Chaos

Despite this ongoing concern, Maggic takes it in as a form of art, transforming this open source into modern artwork, including workshops where one can do labs on these compounds ("Workshopology"), and that itself, is art.

Word Count: 237


Sources:

[1] “About — Mary Maggic Official.” Mary Maggic, https://maggic.ooo/About. 

[2] “Fish Exposed to Even Small Amounts of Estrogen Produce Fewer Males.” ScienceDaily, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201023123100.htm.

[3] Jorgensen, Elisa M., et al. “Preferential Epigenetic Programming of Estrogen Response after in Utero Xenoestrogen (Bisphenol-A) Exposure.” FASEB Journal: Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, vol. 30, no. 9, Sept. 2016, pp. 3194–201. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201500089R.

[4] Maggic, Mary. 22 April 2022. University of California Los Angeles. Lecture.

[5] Nguyen, Michelle. Screenshot from DESMA9: BioArt Talks, We're All Living in the Estroworld. Maggic's Mobile Lab. 22 April 2022. Author's Personal Collection.

[6] Nguyen, Michelle. Screenshot from DESMA9: BioArt Talks, We're All Living in the Estroworld. Maggic explaining the differences between organic and synthetic estrogen. 22 April 2022. Author's Personal Collection.

[7] Nguyen, Michelle. Screenshot from DESMA9: BioArt Talks, We're All Living in the Estroworld. Maggic's mandala of various products containing estrogen-like compounds. 22 April 2022. Author's Personal Collection. 

[8] Workshopology — Mary Maggic Official. https://maggic.ooo/About. 




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