Evidence Dolls is a research project commissioned by the Pompidou Centre in Paris for the D-Day exhibition. It is part of an ongoing investigation into how design can be used as a medium for public debate on the social, cultural and ethical impact of emerging technologies.

The aim was to use hypothetical products as a way of exploring how one group in society felt biotech might impact on their lives. We focussed on young single women and their love lives as this provided a number of interesting perspectives on genetics -- designer babies, desirable genes, mating logic, DNA theft. It is not intended to be scientific, but more a way of unlocking their imaginations and generating stories that once made public, trigger thoughts and discussions in other people.

One hundred special dolls were produced to contain material from a male lover from which DNA could be extracted at a later date. The dolls were made from white plastic (which could be annotated) and came in three penis sizes, S, M, and L.

A number of young single women were interviewed and asked to imagine how they would use the dolls. This led to more general discussions about the impact of genetic technology on their love lives. Graphic design group ?b?ke were asked to annotate the dolls with words, drawings and images based on the transcripts.

The final installation consisted of 25 dolls (with illustrated surfaces) sitting on a large table, 4 DVD players showing edited interviews with the women, and 55 blank dolls on shelves.

Curator/Commissioner: Valerie Guillaume
Illustrations: Åbäke
Thanks to: Sarah Quinn, Onkar Kular, Graeme Findlay, Noam Toran, Elio Caccavale 

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