The recent Gene-Edited BioArt exhibition, which opened last week in downtown Manhattan, has sparked fierce backlash from animal rights organizations. The show, featuring living organisms modified through CRISPR technology as "artistic expressions," has drawn protestors who claim the event crosses ethical boundaries in its treatment of sentient creatures.

Curated by avant-garde artist collective BioVanguard, the exhibition includes glow-in-the-dark rabbits, fluorescent zebrafish with "living tattoos" under their skin, and songbirds genetically altered to produce synthetic melodies. While organizers describe it as "a celebration of life's malleability," activists have picketed the gallery daily since its opening.

"This isn't art - it's Frankensteinian cruelty disguised as creativity," said Miranda Cross of the Animal Defense League, standing outside the gallery with dozens of protesters holding signs reading "NO TO BIO-EXPLOITATION." "These animals didn't consent to becoming someone's grotesque art project."

The controversy highlights growing tensions between cutting-edge biotechnological art and ethical concerns over animal welfare. Unlike traditional mediums, gene-edited organisms continue living (and potentially suffering) after being "exhibited," raising questions about long-term care and quality of life for these creatures.

BioVanguard's lead artist Dr. Lysander Kohl defended the exhibition during a heated panel discussion at NYU's bioethics department. "Every major artistic revolution faced resistance," he argued, "from Renaissance anatomists to photographers capturing 'stolen souls.' We're exploring consciousness itself by collaborating with life's code."

Veterinary experts consulted by this publication expressed particular concern over the "Neon Aviary" installation, where canaries produce bioluminescent feathers in response to musical stimuli. Avian specialists note the birds show signs of stress when exposed to constant light cycles required for the visual effect.

Meanwhile, the exhibition has drawn unexpected support from some transhumanist groups. "These protesters would have banned the first domesticated dogs," remarked futurist blogger Zane Petros during a pro-exhibition counter-rally. "All evolution is editing - we're just doing it consciously now."

The gallery has implemented what it calls "humane protocols," including on-site veterinarians and "retirement plans" for exhibition animals. However, leaked internal documents reveal several genetically modified mice had to be euthanized during developmental stages of an abandoned "kaleidoscope fur" project.

Legal scholars point out that current animal welfare laws lag behind biotechnology developments. While federal regulations cover laboratory animals, there's no specific framework for organisms created expressly as artworks. This gray area allows exhibitions to operate with minimal oversight.

As the debate intensifies, museum staff report both record attendance and daily vandalism attempts. Someone released three "edited" butterflies from their display case last Tuesday - an act protesters call liberation and curators describe as destruction of $250,000 artworks.

The art world remains divided. MoMA's senior curator Elena Vasquez called the show "visionary but troubling," while Guggenheim director Jameson Cole canceled BioVanguard's planned 2025 exhibition, stating: "There are lines even art shouldn't cross."

With petitions circulating both for and against the exhibition, city officials are considering emergency hearings. Meanwhile, the glowing rabbits continue hopping in their specially lit enclosures, unaware they've become the newest battleground in the ethics of art and science.