When Art Becomes (Literally) Alive: Nature as Protagonist in Contemporary Art

A 2017 wave of exhibitions placed living organisms at the center of artistic research, from Piero Gilardi's bioart retrospective at MAXXI Rome to Michael Wang's 'Extinct in the Wild' at Fondazione Prada Milan, which displayed species that no longer exist in the wild. Anto. Milotta & Zlatolin Donchev's 'Naturally Artificially' at Villa Croce Genoa used 3D printing to replicate minerals, while Henrique Oliveira's 'Transcorredor' at Centro Pecci Prato created a labyrinth of natural materials. Joe Davis, Marta de Menezes, and Eduardo Kac (famous for his green rabbit) explored biotechnology. In Genoa, Renzo Piano's 2001 Biosfera reopened in March 2017 with an orchid exhibition, and the Museo di Scienze Naturali hosted 'Kryptòs' on animal mimicry. The article surveys how contemporary art oscillates between voyeurism and scientific interest, highlighting human intervention's dual role in threatening and preserving nature.