New works by artists Dryden Goodwin and Revital Cohen are to feature in the Science Museum’s updated ‘Who am I?’ gallery when it reopens in June 2010.
Currently one of the most popular galleries in the Science Museum, ‘Who am I?’ presents brain science and genetics through a mixture of interactive exhibits, the latest scientific research, museum artefacts and exclusive art works. Goodwin and Cohen will be joining Antony Gormley, Angus Fairhurst and other internationally renowned contemporary artists who’s artworks were commissioned and purchased for the original ‘Who am I?’ gallery. The new works will be unveiled at the relaunch of ‘Who am I?’ next June coinciding with the end of the Science Museum’s year long Centenary celebrations.
Hannah Redler, Head of Science Museum Arts Projects, said:
“For this year's commissions we concentrated on finding artists whose methods of investigation and research are comparable to those used in science albeit to markedly different ends. Goodwin’s startling installation in a case about brain imaging will present images which suggest a sense of mystery and the unknowable, set amongst scientific instruments and methods which purport to tell us how our brains work. Cohen will be producing a series of ‘critical objects’ for a case about mapping the genome which will have imagined functions relating to genetic legacy. It will be left up to our audiences to decide whether they think the futures her objects propose are mythical or probable.”
Multimedia artist Dryden Goodwin’s work is interested in the notion that drawing can be an attempt to discover knowledge on many different levels, about people. This is evident in the way he uses drawing and lens-based media to ‘map’ individuals. Goodwin is influenced by the belief that there is a potential rich dialogue between artists and scientists. He is interested in the questions, desires, methodologies, ethical issues and hoped for revelations these dialogues may generate to explore and understand what it is to be human.
Recent RCA graduate Revital Cohen uses design as a means to engage in and establish critical discourses. Her work spans across various media and has included collaborations with scientists, bioethicists, animal breeders and the NHS. Cohen’s critical objects and provocative scenarios suggest debatable interactions relating to life sciences. She believes that by being familiar yet speculative, experimental design can engage and challenge people’s understanding of science. Cohen’s ‘Life Support’ project was previously exhibited at the Design Museum, London, as part of the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2009.
‘Who am I?’ remains open until early January and is free to visit. The revamped gallery will open in June 2010.
‘Who am I?’ is supported by Principal Funder: Wellcome Trust, Major Sponsors: GlaxoSmithKline and Life Technologies Foundation.
For further information please contact Andrew Marcus, Science Museum Press Office on andrew.marcus@sciencemuseum.org.uk or 020 7942 4357.
Notes to Editors
1. From June 2009 the Science Museum is celebrating its hundredth birthday and a century of science with a year-long centenary programme to take the renowned institution into the future. For 100 years the Science Museum has been world-renowned for its historic collection, remarkable galleries and inspirational exhibitions. With around 15,000 objects on public display, the Science Museum’s collections form an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical change from the past few centuries. Aiming to be the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, the Science Museum makes sense of the science that shapes our lives, sparking curiosity, releasing creativity and changing the future by engaging people of all generations and backgrounds in science engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. In 2008/09 the Science Museum was proud to have been awarded the Gold Award for Visitor Attraction of the Year by Visit London and a Silver Award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year by Enjoy England.
2. Science Museum Arts Projects explores artists’ perspectives on the past, present and future of science and technology, creating new opportunities for encountering contemporary art. Projects by exceptional artists offer new ways of thinking about the impact of science within wider cultural contexts. The programme includes temporary and permanent works within the museum’s galleries, as well one-off events, talks, research projects and art exhibitions. Other existing art works in Who am I? include pieces by Marlene Dumas, Wendy McMurdo and David Shrigley.
3. The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending over £600 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing.
4. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and healthcare companies and is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. GSK has a targeted community investment programme working with health and education organisations in almost 100 countries. GSK is one of the largest charitable givers in the FTSE 100. For more information please visit: www.gsk.com/community
5. The Life Technologies Foundation is dedicated to recognizing the power of each scientist’s contribution to improving the human condition. By teaming with researchers across countries and cultures, we strive to demystify the world of life science, empower today’s children to become tomorrow’s scientific leaders and deepen society’s appreciation of science.
