Bio-Art and the Philosophy of Difference: Reading Eduardo Kac's Alba through Deleuze and Simondon

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Author

PhD Student, Department of Visual Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

10.48308/kj.2026.242196.1373

Abstract

The present article, focusing on the work "Alba" (the transgenic fluorescent rabbit by Eduardo Kac), examines the possibility of analyzing non-human subjectivity in transgenic art by employing Gilles Deleuze's theory of the "larval subject." The primary problem is the inadequacy of traditional artistic criticism frameworks for analyzing works situated at the intersection of art, science, and philosophy. This research aims to provide a theoretical model for analyzing such works. The main research question is: How can Deleuze's "larval subject" serve as a model for analyzing non-human subjectivity in transgenic art? Utilizing a hybrid methodology with an interpretive-critical approach, this study integrates the philosophy of Deleuze (concepts of the larval subject, organic time, and simulacrum) and Simondon (concepts of individuation and the membrane) with biotechnology. The findings demonstrate that the metabolism of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in Alba embodies a "larval subject." By redefining the organism-environment relationship and preserving species differences as a simulacrum, it challenges anthropocentrism in art and philosophy, thereby actualizing the shift of art from the realm of representation to the realm of biotechnology. This research proves the necessity of employing post-Hegelian philosophies for analyzing contemporary art.

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References

Deleuze, G. (1968). Différence et répétition. Paris, France: Presses Universitaires de France (PUF).
Deleuze, G. (1990). The logic of sense (M. Lester & C. Stivale, Trans.). New York, NY: Columbia University Press. (Original work published 1969)
Deleuze, G. (1994). Difference and repetition (P. Patton, Trans.). London: Athlone. (Original work published 1968)
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Kac, E. (2020). GFP BUNNY AT 20. Journal of Posthuman Studies, 4(2), 119–128.
Klein, M. (1998). Love, Guilt and Reparation and Other Works: 1921–1945 (H. Segal, Introduction). London: Vintage.
Simondon, G. (2020a). Individuation in Light of Notions of Form and Information (T. Adkins, Trans.). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Simoniti, V. (2019). The Living Image in Bio-Art and in Philosophy. Oxford Art Journal, 42(2), 177–196.
Žukauskaité, A. (2019). Hybrids, chimeras, aberrant nuptials: New modes of cohabitation in bioart. Nordic Theatre Studies, 31(1), 22–37.

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 October 2025
  • Revise Date: 29 November 2025
  • Accept Date: 03 May 2026

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