Art is not bioterrorism
Faith Wilding · 2021
Subsequent to 9/11, the consolidation of US governmental security forces has created a context of increased surveillance and control of citizens. Academia, often the last refuge for freedom of thought, research, and expression for scholars and artists, is by no means exempt from this encroachment. The three cases concern a scientist, an art collective—scientist team, and an artist, respectively. They exemplify the growing number of activist citizens getting into trouble with federal and institutional “security” forces, often for cultural and scientific work that is critical of corporate biotechnology, government control of human bodies, and restrictive intellectual property laws. The US government is using new tactics to censor work that was formerly protected under First Amendment civil liberties and academic freedom rights. Federal prosecutors have lodged charges of bioterrorism, security trespass, or patent and intellectual property law infringement against academic scientists and artists.