The Immortalisation of Billy Apple®: An Art-Science Collaboration

In The Immortalisation of Billy Apple^®, Billy Apple^® is simultaneously a subject of art and of scientific endeavor. This project has resulted in the first biological tissue made available for artists and the first biological tissue for science research made available by an artist as art. It has long been understood that Homo sapiens are a selective force of nature. Here the tissue and genetic information survive artistic and scientific natural selection. The Immortalisation of Billy Apple^® provides an ongoing opportunity for cultural engagement with biological technology. This paper poses the question: Can genuine science and art output emerge from collaboration? As the author explores this question, other questions emerge around the scope of art in the realm of science and the roles of collaborators.