Astonishing innovations in genetic research and biotechnology offer solutions to some of society’s most intractable problems. By sequencing genes, synthesizing genetic material, and editing genes, scientists and engineers have developed technologies that expand understanding of genetics and allow alteration of ourselves and other species, as never before.

As we enter this new era of unprecedented power and responsibility, we are prompted to reflect on how these radical innovations offer solutions, yet raise new ethical and moral questions—about equitable access to these technologies, the wisdom of their use, and the interplay between science and human society. As with previous techno-scientific upheavals, artists grapple with these issues in their work by exploring the promises and perils our future may hold.

In this exhibition, a conversation between art and science unfolds as emerging technologies and research provide tools for creative expression, while the art sometimes examines and critiques the science at hand. The research, technology, and artwork all address how people can use genetics to sense, alter, and edit our world and ourselves.

As the pace of discovery quickens, the future of these biotechnologies and our understanding of genetics and genomics will affect us all. We have witnessed how public participation in shaping the ongoing digital revolution has been limited, leading to unintended consequences and the concentration of power. Is it possible we can bend the ongoing biotechnical revolution towards equity and justice?