Panel Discussion: Should living consenting adults be able to donate their own body parts to art?

About

This debate is part of Material Concerns - an exhibition that explores consent in donation and use of human tissue in life, art and scientific research. In 2010, artist Gina Czarnecki initiated a programme of debates exploring issues around permission and consent, donation and participation, and art and ethics. This stemmed from her series of work called Wasted, exploring the life-giving potential of 'discarded' body parts and their relationship to myth. Palaces, a sculpture from the Wasted series, is currently on display in LifeSpace as part of the ongoing Material Concerns exhibition. An Arts & Ethics Advisory Panel developed out of the Wasted Works and the associated debates.

This debate seeks to continue discussions about the ethics of ‘bio-art’ and welcomes participation from scientists and artists from across the University.

Our invited panel includes:

Philip Coates (Tayside Tissue Bank)

Gina Czarnecki (Artist)

Janice Aitken (Senior Lecturer, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design)

Alan Fairlamb (Convenor of University of Dundee Research Governance & Policy Sub-committee)

Paul Felts (Senior Lecturer, Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification)

Morgan Petrie (Portfolio Manager, Creative Scotland)

Margaret Smith (Convenor of TASC Research Governance Committee)

The session will be chaired by Sarah Cook (Curator and Dundee Fellow).

Please arrive 10 minutes early as the debate will begin promptly at 3pm.

Material Concerns brings together work by Gina Czarnecki, David Connearn, Carolee Schneemann, Verena Friedrich and Alec Finlay with current research and historical artefacts from the University of Dundee to better understand the various processes of consent and the ethics employed in the donation and use of human tissue. Curated by Sarah Cook. The exhibition continues until Saturday 30 May.

Material Concerns is supported by the Binks Trust.