AN ANALOGY OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE IN BACTERIAL ART: A QUESTION OF CONTENT OR EMOTION?

Abstract

Based on two exhibitions of bacterial paintings in 2018 and 2019, we posit that knowledge about bacteria can both impede and enhance viewers' aesthetic experiences. Artists can manipulate biological material to create intriguing visual experiences that evoke emotions ranging from discomfort to admiration by understanding how different types of bacteria interact with one another and their potential uses for artistic expression. We revisited and challenged both Noel Carroll's and Gary Iseminger's theories on the approach to aesthetics due to the inherent complexity of the making process as well as its philosophical implications in bacterial art. During the exhibition, 111 questionnaires and brief interviews were used to collect responses and comments from the audience. We discovered two main themes in the audience responses: "universal knowledge" of bacteria and "pursuit of truth," demonstrating distinct aesthetic experience that is both cognitively motivated and emotionally engaged. From this perspective, bacterial art nudged audiences to look at these works of art with wonder and appreciation for the beauty they contain. As a result, having a basic understanding of bacteria allows us to encounter bacterial art in novel and intriguing ways.