Collection: Birds of Prey | What the Future Leaves Behind | Stephanie Morissette

Mutations can occur naturally and create unexpected results.

This exhibition uses speculative paleontology to imagine a future branch in the tree of life–one where biological specimens and man-made machinery have merged into a new, hybrid species. This work is made from the perspective of a far-future scientist who has discovered the remains of these creatures–part bird, part drone–and must untangle the troubling legacy of militarism and genetic engineering in our current time. 

This vision of the future is rooted in realities of the ethics and priorities of contemporary scientific research. A large proportion of funding for synthetic biology research in the United States comes from sources like Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an organization committed to creating ever more deadly weapons of war. “Birds of Prey” foreshadows both near and distant futures, ones where their experiment will most likely serve the interests of military advancement over human life.