The Transdiciplinary Research Area (TRA) Individuals and Societies, in collaboration with the German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences (DRZE),  the Institute of Art History Bonn and the Kunstmuseum Bonn invites you to a dynamic exchange between the arts and academia.

14. October 2026
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
reception afterwards

Kunstmuseum Bonn, Auditorium
Helmut-Kohl-Allee 2
53113 Bonn

What might a ‘Third Nature’ be?

Does synthetic biology challenge the boundary between nature and artefact?

What responsibilities arise when life is not merely modified, but deliberately designed?

What role should the arts, philosophy, theology, and the natural sciences play in shaping public debates about emerging biotechnologies?

How is the creative practice of art remodeled by synthetic life design?

Programme

Welcome and Introduction

Prof. Dr. Dirk Lanzerath
Director of the DRZE, University of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Birgit Mersmann
Vice Director of the Institute of Art History, University of Bonn

Keynotes

Prof. Dr. Anna Smajdor
Professor of Practical Philosophy, University of Oslo
"Synthetic Life: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Creation"

Prof. Andreas Greiner
Multidisciplinary Artist and Professor of Media Art, Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design Kiel
"Billions of Heartbeats, One Nature"

Panel Discussion

with (in alphabetical order)

Prof. Dr. Matthias Braun
Chair of the Department of Social Ethics, Faculty of Protestant Theology, University of Bonn

Prof. Andreas Greiner
Multidisciplinary Artist and Professor of Media Art, Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design Kiel

Prof. Dr. Boas Pucker
Professor of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Institute for Cellular & Molecular Botany, University of Bonn

Prof. Dr. Anna Smajdor
Professor of Practical Philosophy, University of Oslo

Moderation:
Dr. Aurélie Halsband
German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences, University of Bonn

Dr. Hauke Ohls
Institute of Art History, University of Bonn