Lisa Meinesz

Lisa, you specialize in the creation of speculative life forms. I wonder how you got introduced to the idea, how did you begin 3D art works and what got you inclined into this?

My initial inspiration would have to be Ridley Scott's Alien movies, the work of H.R Giger, and the synthetic character David in Alien covenant. The story of David's pursuit to create the perfect organism communicates a beautiful cycle of conflict between the creator and creation and is a very relevant story for today, considering rapidly advancing technologies. Specifically, within the fields of synthetic biology and soft robotics, where the boundaries between the living and the artificial blur, I have become extremely excited by the prospect of aesthetic considerations for such technologies. I've been closely following the work of synthetic biologist Michael Levin and his creations. Levin explains that in the coming decades we will be surrounded by creatures that are nowhere with us on the tree of life, that have radically different bodies and minds, and the importance of developing new systems of an ethical symbiosis. My recent work proposes to explore the role of aesthetics in shaping our connection to speculative synthetic life forms and the implications of certain aesthetic choices. Speculative biology, with its imaginative exploration of diverse and alternative life forms, holds great potential in informing our relationship with ourselves. By presenting a myriad of fictional entities that push the boundaries of what is deemed possible in the realm of life, we have the ability to reveal to human beings their own freedom and responsibility in the world.