Bacterial Art In Court

Lawyers for Steven J. Kurtz asked a judge to dismiss fraud charges against the artist and art professor, following an FBI probe into his bacteria-based art work. Kurtz, 46, a University professor, was accused of illegally scheming to obtain bacterial agents that he used in art exhibits sponsored by the Critical Art Ensemble. That group has protested policies of the federal government. Protesters accused the U.S. Justice Department of unfairly targeting Kurtz because he participated in art exhibits and wrote books that criticized the government. "It's not an exaggeration to say artists all over the world are watching this case," one Chicago artist said. "To me, it's a test case on how far the government can go to repress artists and intellectuals." For the full story - click the title Irish Art