TEMPORAL TRANSMUTATIONS
MEDIEVAL ALCHEMY, CHIMERAS, AND BIOART
Resumo
This essay explores the symbolic and philosophical connections between medieval alchemy, the figure of the Chimera, and contemporary BioArt. It argues that BioArt is not merely a biotechnological practice but also draws on archaic and alchemical imaginaries to produce artworks that challenge the boundaries between human and non-human, natural and artificial. The Chimera, as a hybrid figure, symbolizes transformation, the reconciliation of opposites, and the emergence of new modes of existence. Alchemy, in turn, is presented as a spiritual and material precursor to BioArt, offering a vision of transformation as a pathway to knowledge. Through the analysis of specific BioArt projects and historical references, the essay demonstrates how contemporary practices update and reinterpret classical and medieval symbols, proposing an ontology of hybridity. The result is not only an aesthetic proposition but also a philosophical and ethical one: an invitation to rethink matter, life, and creation from a more integrated perspective. In conclusion, the hypothesis is confirmed—BioArt emerges as a contemporary form of alchemy, generating chimerical creations that reactivate classical traditions and foster novel insights into the present. This essay ultimately proposes a historical hybridization, encouraging us to create our own philosophical and artistic chimeras.
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