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[integer@www.god-emil.dk]

>FOCUS ON COMPANIES


 FOCUS ON COMPANIES -> various institutes of the RWTH Aachen. 
 = 01 genet!k re:eng!neer!ng ma! b dez!rabl

 

>Contribution to the exhibition "Model, Model...” of the Neuer Aachener
>Kunstverein on the occasion of the RWTH-Project weeks "Der künstliche
>Mensch – Visionen des Machbaren” in Aachen, May 4, – June 16, 2000 
>
>
>"Focus on Companies” refers to the exhibition taking place at the same
>time in Aachen "Focus on Genes”. "Focus on Genes” is a travelling
>exhibition put together by the socio-culturally agile Hygiene-Museum in
>Dresden which attempts to represent genetic engineering "in a popular
>scientific and experience oriented way.” 
>According to the announcement of the project, the "fundamental contents
>of the exhibition, ‘Focus on Genes’ are dealt with in great detail in a
>richly illustrated catalogue which was published in the framework of the
>‘Gene-Worlds’ project in 1998.” Similar to this preceding exhibition
>from the Hygiene-Museum, once again knowledge about genetic engineering
>should be presented for "forming your own opinion” and coming closer to
>the goal of "weighing out the chances and risks which the use of genetic
>engineering offers from a medical, ethical and social perspective.” 
>To provide a counterpoint to the five "Gene-Worlds” ("Gen-Welten”)
>exhibitions shown in Germany and Switzerland, in 1998 I simultaneously
>realized the project "antiGene Worlds: Oppositions to Genetic
>Engineering”.* In a text published in the context of this project** I
>pointed out that the concept of "Gene-Worlds” is based on the false
>assumption that individuals can contribute to the decisions made about
>which technologies are implemented and which are not. The decisions
>about these things are not made in a democratic way, but, rather, in
>connection with powerful financial interests and the political pressure
>from companies. In both "Gene-Worlds” and "Focus on Genes,” the
>exhibition’s role consists solely in creating acceptance!
>
>The project "Focus on Companies” therefore puts those companies which
>advance genetic engineering research and product development at the
>center of critique. 
>The starting point for the print series produced for the exhibition in
>Aachen are current publications from companies such as Novartis,
>Schering, Bio-Rad Laboratories and Roche, which appear as sponsors for
>"Focus on Genes”. Selected pages from company reports and brochures were
>chosen whereby the original texts which thematize the various areas
>within genetic engineering are replaced by black framed yellow text
>fields. 
>In contrast to the "warning signs” of the "antiGene Worlds” project, the
>dangers which arise from the technologies themselves are not at the
>center but rather the ecological and social logic of genetic engineering
>and its global, socio-political effects. For such areas there is no
>place either in the publications of the companies or in "Focus on
>Genes”. 
>Therefore, the texts of the companies’ brochures are covered over with a
>political commentary which takes up various themes from the exhibition
>(Xenotransplantations, Gentech-rice with Vitamin A, anti-squash
>tomatoes) and takes on other perspectives. 
>
>OLIVER RESSLER
>
>* Oliver Ressler, geGen-Welten: Widerstände gegen Gentechnologien,
>Edition Selene, 1998, 84 pages. 
>** Various versions were printed in the "antiGene Worlds"-publication,
>in the magazines ak – analyse & kritik, iz3w – Blätter des
>Informationszentrums 3. Welt and in the GID – Gen-ethischer Informationsdienst.
>
>"Focus on Companies” will be shown in the framework of the exhibition at
>various institutes of the RWTH Aachen. 
>
>Oliver Ressler, Steingasse 37/9, 1030 Vienna, Austria, 
>T/F: +43/1/913 09 17, E: oliver.ressler@chello.at
>Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Rudolfstrasse 56-58, 52070 Aachen, Germany,
>T: +49/241/50 32 55, F: 53 88 48, E: NAK.Aachen@t-online.de
>Office of NAK during the exhibit: Institut für Werkstoffkunde, T: 0241/80-7800



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