WONDERFUL - ART TAKES ON SCIENCE AT NEW EXHIBITION IN BRISTOL
By Kate Morrison
03/03/2004
Photo: Feather being formed by extrusion and agglomeration on follicle form (simulated electron micrograph), 1978 by Peter Fend.
Artists and scientists have collaborated to give people a taste of the future in Wonderful, which is on at the L Shed, Bristol Industrial Museum until March 21.
The exhibition has been organised by Bristol’s Arnolfini Gallery and is designed to make people think about the ethical implications of new technological developments.
Photo: CowBoard concept diagram, 2004 by Richard Dedomenici and Bryan Jones.
Exhibits are displayed in glowing felt and latex pods. Some are interactive, making it a fascinating exhibition for adults and children.
"We’ve had a reasonable number of visitors in and it is a good exhibition for children. We’ve organised quite a few educational events around it," said Operations manager Polly Cole.
The works on show range from a project inspired by jellyfish to an installation based on stem cell theory.
Photo: Vending For the Future, 2004 by Kerry Morrison and Alicia Prowse.
Choice by Kerry Morrison with botanist Dr Alicia Prowse is a performance work based on a vending machine. The machine dispenses seeds of Himalayan Balsam, a non-native plant traditionally seen as a threat to native British plants.
People using the machine are given information about the balsam and asked to choose whether or not to plant the seeds.
Photo: Jellyfish Lake (still) by Dorothy Cross, camera Loring McAlpin, 2002. Courtesy of the Kerlin Gallery, Dublin.
Another interactive exhibit is Alter Ego by Alexa Wright with Alf Linney. A mirror reflects visitors who look in it and then begins to take on a life of its own. The technology behind the work has contributed to new techniques used in facial reconstructive surgery.
Leading Bristol scientists give informal tours of the exhibition every Saturday, with the opportunity to ask questions about the works. There are also live performances.
The exhibition is supported by NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, and the Wellcome Trust, an independent research-funding charity.
Photo: Hurrysickness, 2004 by Third Angel.
When it closes in Bristol, Wonderful is heading off on tour around the UK and will be on show at Magna in Rotherham from September 18 until October 1 and then at Manchester’s Cornerhouse from November 28 until January 9, 2005.
16 Narrow Quay, Bristol, BS1 4QA, England
T: 0117 917 2300
Open: Arnolfini is open seven days a week from 10am until 8pm and entrance is completely free. The cafe bar is open from 10am to 11pm except on Sundays when it closes at 10.30pm.
Closed: Please note that the galleries close at 4pm on Sat 24 and Sat 31 Dec.
Arnolfini is closed 25, 26 & 27 December
Bristol's Industrial Museum, Wapping Road, Bristol, BS1 4RN, England
T: 0117 925 1470
Closed: Bristol's Industrial Museum closed on 29th October and work has started on transforming it into the new Museum of Bristol, due to open in 2009.
