Genetically Engineered Babies
Genetically Engineered Babies is an interactive installation that simulates the selection and purchase of a genetically engineered child. Examining medically assisted reproduction, designer babies, and surrogate parenthood, the work questions the transformation of parenthood from a private, intimate choice into a consumer-driven entitlement. Visitors pick up a baby-shaped apple sculpture, which triggers a screen revealing its genetic profile, followed by a digital checkout and printed receipt showing their name and the baby’s traits.
Visitors begin by picking up a baby-shaped apple sculpture from a basket, which triggers a screen revealing that baby’s genetic profile. They are then led through a digital checkout process, ending with a printed receipt that records their name alongside the baby’s name and traits. Through the apple baby’s reactions—giggles when gently handled, cries when held roughly, and soft breathing when left undisturbed—the work questions the boundary between product and person. The apple-inspired form evokes the symbolism of the Garden of Eden, referencing knowledge and sin, and serves as a critique of technological ambition and moral transgression in the context of medically assisted reproduction.
Genetically Engineered Babies operates under the fictional corporate identity Edenics and is a networked interactive installation combining sculpture, embedded electronics, sound, a custom web interface, and receipt printing. The system uses a local wireless network to enable real-time communication between physical sculptural objects—the apple babies—and a central touchscreen kiosk that functions as both web server and transaction terminal. Custom-programmed microcontrollers, asynchronous web routing, and localized audio playback work together to create a responsive interactive environment.
The touchscreen interface updates in real time by polling the server’s /state endpoint, allowing the system to display the corresponding baby’s genetic profile, projected traits, and assigned market value. This digital interaction culminates in a simulated transaction. After navigating the selected baby’s profile, the user proceeds to a checkout screen, where they sign their name using an HTML5 canvas element. Upon confirmation, the system sends the transaction data to a thermal printer via UART serial communication, producing a customized corporate “Edenics” receipt. This printed output completes the interaction and reinforces the work’s critique of reproductive commodification, eugenic selection, and the consumer logic embedded in contemporary biotech imaginaries.