At La Maréchalerie, Marc Johnson presents a landscape installation untitled “lacune féconde” (fecund lacuna), an architectural alteration that enhance the art center with recycled earth, carrying within it seeds of wild grasses and flowers (clover, mustard, pheasant’s eye, corn marigold, cornflower). Evolution takes place in the exhibition for a three-month period, modifying the audience hygrometric, acoustic and olfactive perception of the space. Based upon philosophical and sculptural understanding, the project highlights the way in which archeology and genetics questions the living through paleogenomics: The study of ancient DNA.

In contrast to this land art piece, the visitor is challenged by the soundscape (made with artificial voice): “NBIC report” from the document commissioned by the US National Science Foundation and Department of Commerce, in June 2002 untitled: “Converging technology for improving human performance: nanotechnologies, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and cognitive sciences”.
This site-specific installation emerges us into a dystopia and highlight the paradox of technological advances. By its physical as well as critical dimension, the exhibition offers, perhaps the distance and the awakening necessary to better understand: human dignity, ethics, biopower and biopolitics in the era of bioengineering and emerging technologies.

With the support of LVMH, EPMDNV: l’Établissement Public du Musée et du Domaine National de Versailles, le Potager du Roi – ENSP: l’École nationale supérieure de paysage, la Ville de Versailles.