Viola acherontia: Design, Art, and Genetic Manipulation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20868/ardin.2026.15.5664Keywords:
Bio-design, manipulation, environmental ethics, interdisciplinaryAbstract
This article explores how contemporary creation can intervene in living systems in an ethical and ecologically responsible manner, in contrast with the artificial way in which genetic manipulation operates across various spheres of our existence. The research adopts an interdisciplinary design methodology, integrating perspectives from biotechnology, bio-design, contemporary art, and speculative literature. Design strategies are examined that include the use of biological processes, simulations, and bio-inspired materials to generate sensory, narrative, and conceptual experiences that reveal invisible processes and interdependent relationships among humans, other beings, and ecosystems. It is observed that design can function as a projectual and conceptual practice that articulates science, ethics, and aesthetics, promoting critical reflection on intervention in life. Likewise, it is highlighted that design is not limited to the creation of objects but constitutes a framework for speculating on possible futures, constructing ethical narratives, and developing collaborative practices with biological systems. It is concluded that design, understood as a tool for mediation, care, and experimentation, can open spaces for responsible innovation, fostering ecological awareness, sensitivity toward living beings, and critical dialogue on the relationship between humans, nature, and technology
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