Earth Potential (CRISPR embryo)
Katja Novitkova, 2017

Digital print on aluminium, cutout display, steel and aluminium aramature, 180 x 214 x 2cm, 2017. Courtesy of the artist, Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler Gallery, and Temnikova & Kasela Gallery.

Novitskova sourced this image of embryo stem cells from an article about CRISPR, the radical new genome editing technology used to permanently modify genes within organisms. While the technology has many potential uses, from enhancing crops to medicines, the focus has centered on companies applying CRISPR technology to non-viable embryos. While current research is primarily concerned with how this might enable us to eliminate genetic mutations and diseases, it suggests a future use that has previously been reserved for the realm of Science Fiction — one where humans could be designed.