Messages to a Post Human Earth

Please note: This is a past event and is no longer running

“Not everything everywhere is for us.” Stanislaw Lem, The Invincible

‘Hello human person. In a moment you will be asked to face the future. A world without you. A world after you. The person with you will explore the past, and so you will have to lose each other. But not yet…’

MESSAGES TO A POST HUMAN EARTH is an interactive, multi-sensorial journey through the beautiful grounds of the Orleans House Gallery, where you and your partner will embark on an evocative audio journey featuring augmented reality (AR), to reimagine your relationship with the natural world.

The story explores the work of Monica Gagliano and an essay by science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem, which he wrote for the Human Interference Task Force in the 1980s. Lem’s essay was written in response to a request for ideas of what to do with nuclear waste and its incredibly long life span; he suggested encoding messages into the DNA of plants. Gagliano is well known for her research into plant intelligence and the behaviours that demonstrate memory by the Mimosa plant.

Designed for two people to experience together, you will be provided with a special device and props before being sent off to explore the natural world; a hearing, living thing, sensorially alert like you.

You and your partner’s short journeys are different but will work in synchronicity with the other. Like a symbolic choreography, both of your actions become a performance for the other.

Invisible to the naked eye, the audio narration and AR content comes to life to invite musing on the living environment and a future world in which humans will no longer be present.

This experience lasts approximately 45 minutes and is suitable for adults and children over 14 years of age.

The experience is for two people and tickets must be purchased as a pair.

MESSAGES TO A POST HUMAN EARTH is a work by Anagram, commissioned by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Poland, in collaboration with IDFA DocLab R&D Program in Amsterdam. Original concept development by Mike Golembewski. With special thanks to Monica Gagliano, Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Ecology at the Biological Intelligence (BI) Lab, Southern Cross University.

MESSAGES TO A POST HUMAN EARTH is part of Cultural Reforesting, a multi-year programme that will see Orleans House Gallery cultivate and nurture collaborations. Through inviting artists, scientists, researchers, communities, schools and decision makers to join us we hope to place Richmond at the forefront of collective action to address the ecological crises of our time.