London’s Arebyte Gallery is bringing in a solo exhibition by speculative designer and artist Zoë Hough called The Microbial Verdict: You Live Until You Die and running from May 7 until June 6.
The show presents a speculative scenario in which synthetic biology has allowed people to live only as long as they remain ‘themselves’; those over 65 are made to ingest a synthetic protein programmed to release a toxin if it detects the citizens are no longer ‘themselves’.
Based on research by Harvard scientists, this hypothetical is actually scientifically feasible, and Hough uses this dystopian notion to explore ageing in modern society and the desire for control over our bodies and our minds with film, including footage of a ceremony in which citizens ingest the synthetic protein, and objects like a Government document outlining the benefits of this new policy.
See the exhibition page for details. **
