Museum of Notable Realities
COLLECTED DERMAFUTURES
Curated by Micah Lockman-Fine and Maya Hillis June 3, 2024 - Infinity
SKIN
Across the multiverse, beings on every planet pursue innovative solutions to complex problems. Today, some of the most exciting and future-driven work lies within the intersecting fields of biology, design, and technological innovation. In every reality, biotechnological research is directed by societal values and inter-being care models, even as societal values and inter-being care models structure imagination about biotechnological possibilities.
In Collected Dermafutures, our team of BioDesigners explores the past, present and future of skin care on four distinct planets. These planets — Metem, Senes, Halcya and Recoa — each exemplify one way in which shared values and skin care models direct biotechnological innovation. We present artifacts, advertisements, artwork and music sourced from each planet, curated introduction videos which follow each planet from their distant past to present day.
The Collected Dermafutures exhibit first prompts travelers to select an age-based social value system. This decision point manifests inhabitants’ desires for skin health and cosmetics. One could select...
"Pro-Aging"
referring to a society which embraces aging and uplifts bodies’ natural aging processes
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or
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"Pro-Youth"
referring to a society which prioritizes young people and seeks extension of visibly youthful skin
Then, Collected Dermafutures prompts travelers to select the society’s skin care model. This decision point manifests the scale at which skin care is pursued. One could select...
"Individual"
referring to practices which revolve around the self, with skin care as a personal pursuit
or
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"Communal"
referring to practices which revolve around a community, bringing people together around shared skin care goals
Select your preferred societal value then skin care model, following the decision tree to determine which planet you explore first.
Figure 1: Collective Dermafutures decision tree directing user to each planet based on choices of social value and skin care model.