UCLA professor and artist Lauren Lee McCarthy is presenting an exhibit titled “Bodily Autonomy” at California State University, Fresno. The exhibition, hosted by the Center for Creativity and the Arts, is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, until September 26 at the Phebe Conley Art Gallery.
The exhibit features two primary works: “Surrogate” and “Saliva.” An artist talk is scheduled for Thursday, September 11 at 4 p.m. in Room 101 of the Conley Arts building, followed by a reception at 5 p.m. in the adjacent courtyard and gallery.
“Saliva” includes performances, installations, and videos focused on DNA sampling and data collection using swabs and saliva. Visitors can participate in a saliva exchange station each Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m., where they trade samples with one another under supervision. This activity is intended to prompt discussions about bio-surveillance, data privacy, anonymity in data collection, consent, and how personal identity is linked to genetic profiles.
The process behind “Saliva,” first commissioned by UC San Diego’s Mandeville Art Gallery in 2024, aims to move beyond traditional anonymous medical or corporate DNA collection practices. It encourages conversations around issues such as race, gender, class, and privacy related to genetic material.
Chris Lopez, director of the Center for Creativity and the Arts at Fresno State, commented on visitor reactions: “In the first saliva exchange in the Conley Art Gallery, I observed some really great social interactions between the saliva baristas and participants. While the idea of exchanging saliva may seem unusual, I am struck by the sincerity of the audience’s involvement in this social experience.”
McCarthy’s second work on display is “Surrogate,” which involves her offering her body as a remote-controlled surrogate for people interested in having a child.
“The parents could decide what I eat, what I do, when I sleep — having complete control over the body in which their baby is growing,” McCarthy states on her website.
Though this scenario was never fully enacted by McCarthy herself, she uses performances and installations to encourage reflection on topics like family structures, legal questions about surrogacy or genetic manipulation, gender roles and reproductive rights.
Together these works raise questions about individual agency within digital systems that increasingly influence private aspects of life including reproduction and genetic information management. They ask viewers to consider who designs these systems and whose interests are prioritized — particularly noting that marginalized communities may be disproportionately affected.
McCarthy has also developed p5.js — an open-source creative coding platform designed for inclusion — and has received recognition as a United States Artist Fellow among other fellowships.
The Center for Creativity and the Arts organizes interdisciplinary programs aimed at engaging local audiences with broader global issues through art exhibitions as well as lectures and performances across various disciplines. The current exhibit receives support from Creative Capital as well as Fresno State Associated Students Inc.
