post-binary genetic sequences

jacqueline beaumont and zayn muhammad

Postbinary Genetic Sequences challenges dominant binary frameworks within the biological sciences and their entanglement within sociocultural contexts through a series of hand-woven tapestries. Using open source bioinformatics, the project translates raw genetic data from a diverse range of organisms (such as HIV, the honey bee, COVID-19, and the common butterfly) into binary pixel values, woven by hand on a computerized jacquard loom into hypnotic large format tapestries. These tapestries are part of an immersive installation that includes audio/visual projection mappings of bioinformatic data and poetry, inviting audiences to engage with the world of Postbinary Genetic Sequences on a deeper level.

This symphony of bioinformatic data and poetry echoes throughout the installation, where suspended pixelated tapestries collide with laser projections of live DNA sequencing and visual augmentations. The immersive nature of Postbinary Genetic Sequences ignites a spark of curiosity within the observer, igniting a path towards a future that celebrates the complex and adaptive nature of existence. Within this kaleidoscope of emulsified color, sound, and texture, Postbinary Genetic Sequences invites us to reimagine our world through the lens of unbound potential. Showcasing the fluidity and interconnectedness of genetic data, art, and activism, it asks us to embrace a more nuanced, fluid, understanding of the codes that construct the tapestry of life.

Through the immersive explorations of this installation,  Postbinary Genetic Sequences aims to disrupt oppressive biopolitical systems that often constrain the agency and autonomy of marginalized communities, particularly queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (QTBIPOC). By reimagining biotechnology as a tool for resistance and new speculative futures, the project allows for the empowerment of marginalized communities while asking the audiences to consider new, more nuanced perspectives of life in the anthropocene.