Unveiled Secrets: A Peek Inside the Abyss

Unveiled Secrets: A Peek Inside the Abyss

Artist Esther Fox Unveils "Pandora's Box" to Spark Debate on Prenatal Genetic Screening

Artist Esther Fox has created a thought-provoking sculpture titled "Pandora's Box," which is now on display at the Science Museum's "Who Am I?" gallery. The piece explores the ethical challenges associated with pre-natal genetic screening and encourages thoughtful contemplation about the potential harms and responsibilities that come with such advancements in technology.

Fox believes that the widespread use of pre-natal genetic screening would change society irrevocably. Her sculpture symbolizes the potential dangers, unintended consequences, and moral dilemmas such screening may unleash, much like the mythological Pandora's box. The casket is embossed with the ancient Greek Hippocratic Oath, symbolizing the inner beauty and knowledge that should guide decisions about genetic testing.

The gilded interior of the casket represents the inner complexities and moral debates surrounding pre-natal genetic screening. Emerging from the casket is a double helix style twist made from computer punch tape, symbolizing the early era of collecting and storing data. The strips of velum in the sculpture are calf skin manuscripts, used for valuable documents such as the Magna Carta, and are embossed with excerpts from a study about people's feelings towards prenatal genetic screening.

Fox, who has been interested in using art to stimulate discussions about complex ethical issues for many years, has been collaborating with Felicity Boardman, the study's author, to represent multiple voices who participated in the research. Fox hopes to encourage public commentary on the piece, and the public is encouraged to share their thoughts on the topic of genetic screening on Twitter using #geneticscreening.

Fox, who has a disability, believes that her disability is a part of her identity, teaching her resilience, creative problem-solving, and the ability to communicate with diverse people. She suggests that people often view genetic screening as mere scientific progress without considering its potential impact on individuals. By using pre-natal genetic screening, people are not only eliminating a genetic condition, but also potentially eliminating the person with that condition.

The sculpture raises questions about consent, privacy, and equity in healthcare. It highlights the risks of reducing human diversity and the moral complexity of deciding which genetic traits are "desirable" or "undesirable." Fox's artwork serves as a critique and cautionary symbol about the consequences of advancing genetic technology without fully understanding or managing its societal and ethical impacts.

"Pandora's Box" will be on display in the Who Am I? gallery until September 2016. More information about the artwork's development can be found here. Fox invites the public to engage with the piece and reflect on the potential harms and responsibilities associated with prenatal genetic screening in a technologically advancing society.

1. Science Museum's newest exhibit, "Who Am I?", features Esther Fox's thought-provoking sculpture, "Pandora's Box", discussing ethical challenges of prenatal genetic screening.
2. The sculpture, "Pandora's Box", raises concerns about wide-scale use of prenatal genetic screening potentially altering society fundamentally.
3. Esther Fox's artwork represents the potential dangers, unintended consequences, and moral dilemmas that prenatal genetic screening might unleash.
4. The ancient Greek Hippocratic Oath embossed on the casket symbolizes the inner beauty and knowledge guiding decisions about genetic testing.
5. The gilded interior of the casket signifies the moral debates surrounding prenatal genetic screening, reflecting its inner complexities.
6. The double helix structure made from computer punch tape in the casket symbolizes the early period of collecting and storing data, creating a historic reference.
7. Calf skin manuscripts in the sculpture, like the Magna Carta, carry excerpts from a study about people's feelings towards prenatal genetic screening.
8. Collaboration with the study's author, Felicity Boardman, helped Esther Fox represent multiple voices involved in the research.
9. In the era of technological advancements, Esther Fox encourages public commentary on the topic of genetic screening using #geneticscreening.
10. As an artist with a disability, Fox argues that her disability shapes her identity, teaching resilience, creative problem-solving, and effective communication.
11. Fox suggests people often overlook the potential impact of genetic screening on individuals, focusing solely on scientific progress.
12. By eliminating a genetic condition, people potentially eliminate the person bearing that condition, according to Fox.
13. The sculpture sparks conversations centering on consent, privacy, and equity in healthcare.
14. The piece critiques the risks of reducing human diversity due to prenatal genetic screening and ponders the moral conundrum of deciding desirable or undesirable genetic traits.
15. The discourse on prenatal genetic screening mandates ongoing reflection to comprehend and manage its societal and ethical impacts.
16. "Pandora's Box" stimulates debates about the moral, ethical, and social implications of genetic testing in medicine and health.
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