Transforming scientific enquiry and human bodies into visceral art

Ani Liu: eye heart wombLas del dienteMingFrozen in timeToughMoon drawingsNow I’m in the kitchenMammas: hamsterSantiagoFirelei Báez: an open horizonFor the widely exhibited US artist Ani Liu, the body is a site of mystery and data in equal measure. Drawing on a background that spans art, design and biotechnology, she works with what she calls ‘culturally loaded bodily materials’ such as sperm and breast milk to contemplate and expose ingrained ideas about gender, motherhood and labour. In this short film for PBS, the filmmaker Miao Wang follows Liu in the late stages of her third pregnancy as she develops new work. The film situates her practice within both personal history and wider social debates, including those surrounding reproductive rights in the United States. It also makes for a compelling introduction to an artist whose work challenges taboos, raising pressing questions at the intersection of the human body and technology.Video by PBSDirector: Miao WangProducers: Damon Smith, Miao WangvideoGender and identityA magical mystery trip through the complex connections in women’s bodies5 minutesvideoGender and identityMind racing, body still – for Ming, being a nude figure model is emotionally fraught work3 minutesvideoTechnology and the selfWhy single Chinese women are freezing their eggs in California24 minutesvideoDemography and migrationAn immigrant mother and her daughter finally explore the things they had left unsaid5 minutesvideoHomeTracing circles with her suitcase, Yuge mourns seasons of separation from family5 minutesvideoFamily lifeThe stream-of-consciousness thoughts and memories that emerge while cooking a meal5 minutesvideoGenderWhen it’s simply maternal instinct to eat your young3 minutesvideoFilm and visual cultureOur biological past and our technological future play out on a single human face1 minutevideoArtDefying classification, fantastical artworks reframe the racism of Carl Linnaeus8 minutes