What will man look like in the future? How far will the influence of science and technology on man go? The media have already reported on face transplants, designer babies, living forever, artificial organs and other scientific practices. Is a new human breed in the making? Will intelligent machines catch up with us or will man model itself? Can artists make a contribution to this or is this new breed restricted to scientists? How do artists today look at the future of our species?
These where the main themes at the Homo Futuris Festival, which Vooruit organized in association with the Unesco Centrum Vlaanderen (Flemish Unesco Centre) in 2006. Homo Futuris is a long-term project of the Unesco Centrum Vlaanderen about the impact of science and technology on tomorrow’s world. It offers a diverse array of activities and a debate platform.
During the festival we welcomed artists and scientists in Vooruit, among which were CREW, Lawrence Malstaff, Philip Warnell, andcompany&co, Paul Granjon, Workspace Unlimited, professor Christine Van Broeckhoven, Dirk Draulans, and the Commissie ter Bevordering, Bevraging en Bewaking van de Relatie tussen Kunst en Wetenschap (Commission for the Improvement, Questioning and Safeguarding of the Relationship between Art and Science) founded by Vooruit and including the following members: professor Jean-Jacques Cassiman, professor Jean Paul Van Bendeghem, Pieter De Buyssere, Kris Verdonck and Peter van den Eede. They provided us with four entertaining evenings with debates and bar philosophy, high-tech and low-tech installations, readings and performances, theatre and reality, art and science.
A number of the contributions by artists and scientists at the Homo Futuris Festival have now been gathered in a book. This book will be presented to the public in a unique way at the game is up. Not a standard publicity talk, but a special photo shoot by OST vzw for the whole audience. Give your future wings and have your picture taken as a superhero!
in association with Unesco Centrum Vlaanderen
