Open Future

The Living / Sculpting Evolution Group, MIT Media Lab (USA)

Studio-X Istanbul

“Design and biology are more closely intertwined than ever… New biological technologies now allow humans to re-design (or eliminate) an entire species very quickly… Already, designers (including one of us) are using living organisms as part of their design palettes… New bio-materials, bio-structures, and engineered ecosystems could create a built environment that is adaptive, self-healing, and regenerative—with a life of its own beyond the direct hand of the designer. These developments are thrilling, terrifying, and so fast that they are invisible to the naked eye… In our current context of biology and design, we need openness and participation. We need biologists and designers to share their in-progress ideas, experiments, and projects—rather than hiding them until they are ready for publication or construction.” –DB, KE

Open Future is a reflection on current developments at the intersection of design and biology that include the techniques of bio-computation, bio-sensing and bio-fabrication. But it is also a provocation to collaborative action, urging designers and scientist who work in this field to rethink design methods, ethics, and collaborative models. The project argues that a new protocol for open science and design that involves the participation of the public are requirements towards an “open future.”