IncuBra
Couture for the Bio-technological era. A collaborative project between Adam Fiannaca & Cynthia Verspaget, 2007
Please Note that the Incubra blog has now moved to an archive status and is available to view here
IncuBra is a wearable incubator. It uses the body as a structure; as a site for laboratory. Taken from the body to the hallowed ground of the scientific establishment and back to the body, the incubator is made domestic- it is science re-domesticated; irony; mockery.
The scientific incubator is complicated. It is a necessary complication for the site of natural/unnatural which survives well in the scientific. The scientific incubator imitates the body as the ultimate biological housing; sterile and nurturing. IncuBra, however, returns home.
The corset (the external armature) and the body (the intimate armature) provides the mechanisms of modification and the comfort/trappings of home. The breasts are enhanced (or monstorised) through inflatable bladders and through the restrictive compression of the garment in order to provide an area of nurturing warmth. Warmth enables the cells to survive longer than expected outside of the hallowed institutionalised laboratory equipment- that expensive (and cheap) imitation of bodily nurturing.
The project IncuBra associates with discourses surrounding biotech, bioethics, bioart, feminism and wearable portable technologies.
IncuBra 's technological elements include a temperature controlled bio centre (through body heat from the cleavage), supported and monitored via fashionable and functional electronic features, embellishments, and a fashionable well supply of pretty pink Dulbeccos Modified Eagle Medium with glucose, L-glutamine, and Penicillin-Streptomycin held together with hand embroidered trimmings.
The combined living fat cells of Artists Nina Sellars and Stelarc were kept in the vial for their growth and nurturing. These fat cells are 'remnants' (a biotechnological term) of a liposuction event, which the artists Nina Sellars and Stelarc requested to be harvested for their own project called Blender, in August of 2004. A portion of these cells were kindly gifted to us for this project for inclusion as the object of un/desire.
The cells are in my charge. In my cleavage nook.
Am I parent? Lover? Caretaker? The ultimate biological? Incubator? Monstrous? Para Monstrous? ...or am I supplement? Helper? Domestic Goddess?
You may also enjoy reading this analysis of IncuBra written by Julie Joy Clarke