“The introduction of foreign genes into plants has revolutionized the study of plant biology and provided new avenues for gene manipulation…the possibilities are endless.”

The cactus project is a transgenic artwork involving the fusion of human genetic material (the keratin gene) into the cactus genome resulting in the cactus growing human hair instead of spines.

The Scotsman writes that Cinni’s catus will be shown at the Edimburgh Science Festival,
Friday 1 – Sunday 10 April 2005.

Another artists who modifies cactus with technology is Amy Youngs

One of her projects I like most is Engineered for empathy. She used LEDs, microprocessor and sensor to endow a cactus with a pulsating glow. To elicit empathy from humans, its pulsating, glowing heartbeat speeds up as a person comes near it. If the cactus is touched, its pulsing behavior changes to a frenetic flashing.

(movie)

For Rearming the Spinless Oportunia, a cactus deprived from its original defense mechanism through scientific manipulation, Youngs sculpted a mechanised armour to protect this unnatural plant’s vulnerability. When approached its armor closes up and opens when people move away from it. the work underlines the folly of protection in its heavy reliance on technologyn.