Monday 22 October 2018

Frankenstein Symposium

Frankenstein, the iconic novel by Mary Shelley was published exactly 200 years ago and is more relevant today than ever before. The book describes a scientist who created an empathetic living being, evoking fear by those around him. The lack of empathy from his human companions unwillingly turns him into the monster others expected him to be(come).

The story about a living creature compiled from non-living material unfolds the ongoing tension between humans and technology, between the monster and the machine, the creator and its creation. It is a story about ethics and accountability. Are we responsible of what we create? Frankenstein is also a powerful metaphor for (ethnic and gender) diversity, feminism and materialism. How do we interact with the (non-human) other? What does our relationship with non-human others tell us about ourselves? To what extent do we own our creations?

Monday October 22, during Dutch Design Week, Baltan Laboratories and Robot Love present the Frankenstein Symposium. During the symposium, we dive into our ambitious relationship with technology and enter into a playful debate revolving around the future of ethics and the implications of technology. Expect a full-on program with lectures, debate and performances with the Frankenstein myth as a starting point to reflect on today’s technological society.

Tickets and more information can be found here.