extracellulart

Extracellulart is a term used in contemporary art discourse to describe works that engage with the extracellular domain of biological systems—the spaces outside cells, including the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the surrounding milieu. The concept encompasses installations, sculptures, and performances that operate within biological scaffolds or biomaterials, inviting reflection on life, space, and materiality at the tissue level.

Practices labeled extracellulart blend art and science, drawing on bioengineering, tissue culture, and materials science. Media commonly used include decellularized tissue scaffolds, hydrogels (such as collagen- or gelatin-based gels), alginates, and other biocompatible polymers. Works may be cell-free or incorporate living cells to explore interactions within the extracellular environment.

Techniques associated with extracellulart include three-dimensional bioprinting, microfluidic devices, and modular biocompatible architectures. Artists may manipulate ECM components to alter stiffness, porosity, and signaling cues, creating immersive spaces that viewers can inhabit or observe. Some projects treat biological materials as responsive media that change over time with moisture, temperature, or light.

History and reception: The term is not universally codified and is used by a subset of artists, curators, and scholars to describe an approach rather than a fixed movement. It overlaps with bioart and tissue-engineering art, but foregrounds the extracellular context rather than cellular biology alone. Ethical considerations—biosafety, sourcing, consent, and environmental impact—are central to discussions of extracellulart.

Related topics include bioart, biomaterials, tissue engineering, and art–science collaborations.

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