The Intertwining of the Digital and the Biological in Artistic Practice

In the last two decades, we have witnessed a gradual shif observable in the approaches o artists working with technology. Tis shif can be characterized as moving rom the digital and virtual realm towards the physical world. More recently, this can be seen in terms o an inclusion o the biological realm into experiments and artworks that address a wide range o technological developments and their impact on society. Many o the artists working in this field – broadly termed ‘art and science’ – have a background in digital arts. Tis chapter traces specifically the emerging inclusion o the biological realm into the technology-based arts as a trajectory towards which the field o digital art appears to be developing.Given that readers o this chapter probably have general knowledge about digital and technology-based art as an existing field, it ocuses primarily on artistic interests that involve biological organisms and living matter in combination with technology. Te trajectory is introduced through the actors and milestones in the development o Nordic new media art. It continues with examples o Nordic works, artists and active organizers who are working with a combination o digital and biological matter. Te chapter divides the artistic examples into works that ocus on the environment and those that ocus on humans as biological organisms. Underlying the chapter is my first-hand experience in the Nordic development o new media art and my recent interest in, specifically, biological matter with digital technology. Tis development has two historical predecessors: one is based on the traditions o art and technology; the other is based on the traditions o landscape art and earth works. Te chapter addresses our evolving understanding o concepts such as real, natural and artificial, as well as biological and technological.