Human Life exhibition for Newcastle

The Centre for Life in Newcastle is today to launch the Human Life exhibition, with design by At Large and eight interactive installations by consultancy Ico.

The exhibition, the result of a £4.5m investment that represents the centre’s first major refurbishment since it opened in May 2000, explores questions such as ‘What makes humans human?’, ‘How do humans survive in today’s extreme environments?’ and ‘What will climate change mean for life on earth?’.

Working with scientists and researchers to find ways to engage and inform the user, Ico devised the interactive displays that feature games, animations, films and audio.

One of the galleries, Our Futures, tackles issues of aging, climate control and stem cells by displaying imaginary objects that might exist in the future. These objects then sit on a virtual tabletop, which can be moved by the user to find out more information.

In the Our Origins gallery, a broad spectrum of evolution is addressed, from how we populated the globe to how we communicate with each other. Ico created installations that allow users to make walking humans and trace the origins of a user’s name.

The Centre for Life is a permanent 4000m² exhibition presenting biomedical sciences to a public audience. The new exhibition will be housed in a 1500m² refurbished space.