The Transgenic Bagel: The Transformation of Computer-Based Artwork

The Transgenic Bagel, a parody on recombinant gene-slicing, is an interactive art project that has evolved from a computer-based to a World Wide Web-based artwork. Its parodic content hypothesizes that Noah’s Ark comprised the first gene pool and was the first experiment in gene technology. In this work, mythical animals residing in Noah’s virtual ark carry the Noahsomal DNA of biblical characters. Interactive options are provided for viewers to select desired traits of persons depicted in the Book of Genesis. Once selected, these trait genes are transferred to the participant via state-of-the-art bagel technology. The author describes the evolution of the project through several electronic presentation formats and discusses how the different formats affected the stages of the work.