Eduardo Kac Redefines Art with Bold Innovations in Bio Art, Technology, and Space Exploration

From Bio Art to Space, the Visionary Artist Continues to Push Boundaries 

Eduardo Kac discusses his pioneering works in Bio Art, space art, and digital media, exploring themes of life, technology, and the cosmos while envisioning art’s extraterrestrial future.

Eduardo Kac stands as a visionary force in the world of contemporary art, a pioneer whose groundbreaking works have redefined the boundaries of artistic expression. From his early explorations of digital and holographic art in the 1980s to his revolutionary contributions to Bio Art and space art, Kac has consistently pushed the limits of what art can achieve. His creations are not merely works of art but profound inquiries into the nature of life, technology, and the cosmos, challenging us to rethink our relationship with the world around us and beyond. With a career spanning decades and encompassing a vast array of mediums—from poetry and performance to transgenics and interstellar art—Kac has cemented his place as one of the most innovative and influential artists of our time.

Kac’s work is a testament to the power of imagination and the courage to explore uncharted territories. His iconic GFP Bunny, a glowing transgenic rabbit, sparked global conversations about biotechnology and art, while his space-based projects, such as Inner Telescope and Ágora, have literally taken art beyond the confines of Earth. His ability to merge cutting-edge science with profound artistic vision has earned him accolades and exhibitions in some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to the Venice Biennale. In this exclusive interview for WOWwART Magazine, Kac delves into the inspirations behind his most iconic works, the evolution of Bio Art, and his ambitious plans for the future of space art. Prepare to be captivated by the mind of an artist who continues to redefine the possibilities of art in the 21st century.

What inspired you to coin the term “Bio Art,” and how do you see its evolution since you first introduced it in the late 1990s?

I coined the term “Bio Art” in 1997 because I was making work that was focused on a more visceral approach to “life” than we had seen before in contemporary art. The 60s and 70s gave us ecological art—which was centered on larger issues, such as reclamation, for example—and body art, which hinged on the artistic use of the human body, often cutting or making marks on the skin. “Bio Art” is different: it’s focused on a more fundamental approach to the very mechanisms of life, such as cell communication, tissue culture, transgenics, and metabolic manipulation. A new form needs a new name.

Can you discuss the significance of your work with GFP Bunny and how it has influenced public perceptions of genetic art and biotechnology?

I created GFP Bunny in 2000. In a nutshell, the work consisted in the creation and production of a green-glowing rabbit—a real, living, breathing rabbit that glowed green under blue light. This was possible by transferring a jellyfish gene, called GFP (i.e., Green Fluorescent Protein), to the male reproductive cell of a rabbit in a microscope. In itself, the procedure is fairly standard. That’s not the issue. The point is that, for the first time, an artist created a new mammal. For several years GFP Bunny was the subject of exhibitions, public debates, and global media coverage. In recent years, it has been appropriated by major popular culture franchises such as Sherlock, Big Bang Theory, and Simpsons, and by writers such as Margaret Atwood and Michael Crichton. In 2000, GFP Bunny was an icon of the new era. Today, GFP Bunny is evolving into an archetype.

Your artwork Inner Telescope was realized in outer space. What motivated you to create art in such a unique environment, and what were some challenges you faced during the process?

Consider the fact that all art, from the caves to Picasso and beyond, has been created on Earth, for telluric experience. The Earth conditions the production and the experience of the artwork. When this limitation is removed, new possibilities emerge. I’m motivated to create space art because we are now developing a new phase of culture in which extraterrestrial experience will become central. I created my first work of space art in 1986. The work is entitled Ágora and was conceived for deep space. For decades I tried to complete this piece. I finally succeeded in January of 2024. Ágora now orbits the sun in perpetuity. I have been developing space art since the 80s. Inner Telescope was created after Ágora, but completed in 2017, i.e., before Ágora. Space artworks are difficult to complete because they involve many variables that are completely out of your control, such as flight schedules and the weather.
How do you approach the integration of technology and art in your work, particularly in the context of digital, holographic, and online art forms?

Technology is my medium, but to me the question is not what a given medium offers by default. The question does not start with technology. The focal point is what I want to do, what I want to express, the emotions I wish to evoque, the experiences I want to enable the audience to have. The choices I make follow my vision for the artwork—never the technology. 

Your pieces often engage with themes of transience and constant change. How do you think these concepts resonate in today’s fast-paced digital world?

The concept of ‘constant change’ was first developed in the context of Western thought by the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus. Needless to say, the meaning of this insight some two thousand and five hundred years ago and today is dramatically different. I made my first digital work in 1982; my first hologram in 1983; my first online piece on the minitel network in 1985; and my first telepresence (i.e., telerobotic) work in 1986. In art, the early 1980s were a period dominated by a neo-expressionist style of painting, which to me seemed melancholically nostalgic and devoid of interest. I wanted to contribute to the development of the digital culture of the future. That future is our networked present, in which information flows in multiple directions and is constantly being transformed. 

Looking ahead, what do you hope to achieve with your upcoming works, like Adsum‘s journey to the Moon, and how do you envision the future of space art?

Conceived for the Moon, Adsum is a cubic glass sculpture inside of which symbols are laser engraved. The symbols are positioned one in front of the other, thus forming a spatial poem inside the solid glass cube that can be read in any direction. ‘Adsum’ means “Here I am” in Latin, as used to indicate that the speaker is present (equivalent to the exclamation “here!” in a roll call). Adsum will fly to the Moon aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander and, if all goes well, it will arrive on the Moon by early 2025. Adsum will then stay on the Moon, protected aboard the lander, for endless time. Although I will not live to see it, it’s perfectly conceivable that Adsum will be found decades or centuries from now. It is my hope that it will be meaningful to future audiences. In this sense, one of the interesting aspects of space art is the possibility of viewers and participants themselves being in space, either in orbit or in habitats, which will happen more frequently as time goes by. This is relevant because space art is meant to exist and to be seen in space; space art is literally extraterrestrial. As space art evolves, through the use of new processes, media, and materials, and through interaction with new cosmic environments, it will expand the limited scope of our earthbound experiences.