Oron Catts

Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr are co-directors of Tissue Culture and Art, an open project that examines the design of biological objects. The Victimless Leather project is concerned with growing living tissue into a leather like material, grown out of immortalised cell lines. This is cultured, forming a living layer of tissue supported by a biodegradable polymer matrix, shaped like a miniature stitch free coat like shape.  The project challenges the concept of garment by making it ‘semi-living'.

Oron is engaging in the production of semi-living objects (products) which may be used for purposes other than medical and agricultural. He has developed the concept of a custom grown living surface, examining the ecological and social considerations relating to the development of such a product, and different ways to produce a living added surface. 

SymbioticA supports the work of Tissue Culture, and is an artistic laboratory dedicated to the research, learning and critique of life sciences. A major international centre researching and developing art and biology projects, SymbioticA is the first research laboratory of its kind, enabling artists to engage in wet biology practices in a biological science department. This provides a unique opportunity for researchers interacting between life sciences, biotechnology, society and the arts to pursue explorations free of the demands and constraints associated with the current culture of scientific research, while still complying with regulations. SymbioticA has also hosted philosophers, anthropologists and social scientists for short and long term research projects into art and biology.