The anatomy of wonder

• Main Author: Lim, Qi Xuan
• Other Authors: Astrid Al Mkhlaafy
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Visual arts and music
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/59421
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Martian frogs, apes that breathe underwater, pigs bred with human organs, the list of modern-day Frankensteins is a list out of a science fiction fantasy. Genetic engineering brings the world as much promise as possible peril, bringing us dreams of ferocious potential while spinning threads of wonder into our minds. The New Age of Wonder is not a commentary meant to address moral or ethical issues of genetic modification or animal cruelty, but rather, it seeks to suspend our belief in a fleeting moment between scientific fact and absolute doubt. The work weaves together science and art —inducing a sense of wonder through manipulated facts and pure fiction — and aims to displace the viewer’s sense of reality and comfort. By re-appropriating the century-old concept of the Wunderkammer, this project draws on scientific language and classic visualization techniques to highlight the ongoing Cartesian tug-of-war between Man and Nature that continues emphatically today.