New exhibition examines the future of our species

15 April 2011

What is the next step for humankind? Can we defeat ageing and extend our lives indefinitely? What would be the consequences for the environment and for our social relationships?These questions and more are explored in HUMAN+, a major new exhibition supported by the Wellcome Trust that opens today at Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin.

From a petunia plant combined with human DNA to a euthanasia rollercoaster and a prosthetic head, HUMAN+ will invite visitors to consider a future of augmented abilities, authored evolution, new strategies for survival and non-human encounters.

Featuring works by some of the world's leading artists exploring the art-science interface, including Australian performance artist Stelarc, Brazilian transgenic artist Eduardo Kac and dystopian sculptor John Isaacs, HUMAN+ paints a somewhat ambiguous picture of the future of our species. What enhancements will we choose to become better humans? What happens when we live side by side with our robotic companions? How can we author our genetic futures?

In addition to the exhibition, the public are invited to donate their DNA to a major research experiment on the D4 dopamine receptor gene. Research suggests that this gene could be responsible for "high risk behaviour" and therefore might be linked to credit ratings and entrepreneurial personality types, conjuring up images of a Gattaca-like future where DNA profiling could affect eligibility for bank loans. Another experiment, on our relationship with robots, will allow us to understand human-robot interactions from the robot's point of view.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Science Gallery Director Michael John Gorman said: "HUMAN+ tests our boundaries - boundaries of the body, boundaries of the species, boundaries of what is socially and ethically acceptable. Should we enhance ourselves or seek to modify our descendants? Are we approaching a singularity of human-machine hybridization or de-skilling ourselves through our ever-increasing reliance on technological extensions of the body? Is extended human longevity a wonderful aspiration or a dire prospect for the planet? These questions naturally bring scientists, humanists, medics and artists into dialogue, which is a key goal of Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin."

The HUMAN+ exhibition opens at Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin, on April 15 and runs until June 24 2011.

HUMAN+
Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin
15 April-24 June 2011
Tue-Fri: 12.00-20.00
Sat-Sun: 12.00-18.00

Admission is free.

Image: ‘Embryo III’, by Steve Barrett.