What does it really mean to have a body? How do we engage with our bodies, and how do our bodies engage with one another within the cultural, spiritual and biological sphere?

These are just a few of the questions performance and visual artist Kira O’Reilly will explore when she takes part in a discussion about the subject of bioart on Thursday night.

Currently a research fellow at Queen Mary, University of London, O’Reilly is here to participate in the BioBodies Salon, a discussion addressing the transformation of bodies through bioart and biotechnological practices.

O’Reilly draws her inspiration from scientific practices and her subjects include everything from spiders and chicken embryos to cell cultures. Self-described as “both wilfully interdisciplinary and entirely undisciplined,” her works stems from a visual art background, but also employ performance, biotechnical practices and writing to consider speculative reconfigurations around the body.

Event organizer Jennifer Willet, an associate professor and bioartist in the School for Arts and Creative Innovation, said bioartists often use living biology as their medium, which poses a lot of intrinsically ethical questions, for both themselves and their audience, about the use of animals for human purposes.

Dr. Willet met O’Reilly in Australia around 2004 and the two have been collaborating ever since. O’Reilly says the two have “a rich collection of images” taken from various settings they plan to discuss at the event.

“We’ve got an outstanding wealth of material, so we’re going to have a good look at that,” she said.

Joining O’Reilly and Willet for the event will be artist Shannon Bell, from York University. Willet said it will be an exciting opportunity for people to meet two internationally celebrated artists and theorists in a casual environment.

“Both of them have a very strong stage presence,” said Willet, who also cautioned against bringing anyone under the age of 18, as the presentation may contain some explicit material.

The event takes place at 8 p.m. tonight at Villain’s Beastro, 256 Pelissier Avenue. It will conclude with refreshments and an opportunity to mingle with the speakers.