Constance ARI

i'm growing to love you  alludes to spaces generally unassociated with the everyday category of 'life'. Spaces devoid of people, either uninhabited, or out of common grasp, are often thought of as empty spaces, as if the existence of 'life' is only validated through the experience of the human.

The lair suggests a space both internal and external to the body, in which life may exist, disguised, or in unrecognizable form. As new developments in biological technologies occur, our ability to interact within these and other spaces, to generate growth and life in the most unlikely of circumstances, are greatly enhanced. The possibility of life to manifest itself in unexpected ways has significant potential to enrich our perceptions, experiences, and relationships with the natural world and the spaces we inhabit.

Alicia King is currently studying her PhD (Fine Art) at the University of Tasmania, and is also Artist in Residence at the UTAS School of Medicine, where she is learning tissue culture techniques for growing semi-living sculptural forms from human tissue.  Her interests lie in the potential of biological technologies to influence the human perception of 'self' within the natural world.  Her practice sits within a broader field of endeavour currently undertaken by artists internationally, which confronts new concepts of life and self in response to developments in the biomedical field.  Contemporary art has an influential role to play addressing these issues within the public realm, and generating critical cultural discussion.