Plato's Prisoners
Installation.jpg | Credits: (c)courtesy to the artist
Platos-_Prisoners_1.jpg | Credits: (c)courtesy to the artist
Platos-_Prisoners_2.jpg | Credits: (c)courtesy to the artist
Platos-_Prisoners_3.jpg | Credits: (c)courtesy to the artist
Platos-_Prisoners_4.jpg | Credits: (c)courtesy to the artist
Platos-_Prisoners_5.jpg | Credits: (c)courtesy to the artist
Platos-_Prisoners_8.jpg | Credits: (c)courtesy to the artist
Growth_Process_1.jpg | Credits: Pia Jensen - University of Southern Denmark
Growth_Process_2.jpg | Credits: Pia Jensen - University of Southern Denmark
Growth_Process_3.jpg | Credits: Pia Jensen - University of Southern Denmark
Growth_Process_4.jpg | Credits: Pia Jensen - University of Southern Denmark
Plato’s Prisoners is an immersive, interactive installation powered by the neural activity of cerebral organoids—lab-grown “mini-brains” cultivated from human stem cells. These three-dimensional clusters of brain cells, commonly used in biomedical research to explore neurological diseases and drug effects, are here recontextualized to explore the ethical and existential ramifications of their presence in the world.
In this work, audiences are invited to speak into a microphone, as their voices are transformed into gentle vibrations and transmitted into the organoid’s liquid environment. A tactile stimulus that evokes measurable responses in the organoid’s neural activity, which in turn are used to shape the light and sound that envelops the room, completing the two-way channel of communication between person and mini-brain – a conversation between two human entities.
At the heart of the space, a glass vessel cradles the active organoid, fed by a network of ventilation tubes linked to an incubator, where a colony of sibling organoids is carefully maintained. Every three days, to ensure its ongoing vitality, the featured organoid is rotated out and replaced with another, continuing the cycle of biological care.
The cerebral organoids used in Plato’s Prisoners exhibit a striking resemblance to the early stages of human brain development, forming complex neural pathways akin to those in embryonic brains. Yet, unlike human embryos, which are subject to strict ethical limitations such as the 14-day rule, these bodiless brains exist in a moral grey area—free to develop beyond thresholds that would otherwise trigger ethical alarm, reaching the age of 90 days upon the exhibition opening.
The work invites audiences to reflect on the nature of reality and consciousness. Asking themselves: Are these bodiless brains are any less human than they are? Or: How developed must they become before we give them the same ethical considerations we do other living organisms?
Plato’s Prisoners is an immersive, interactive installation powered by the neural activity of cerebral organoids—lab-grown “mini-brains” cultivated from human stem cells. These three-dimensional clusters of brain cells, commonly used in biomedical research to explore neurological diseases and drug effects, are here recontextualized to explore the ethical and existential ramifications of their presence in the world.
In this work, audiences are invited to speak into a microphone, as their voices are transformed into gentle vibrations and transmitted into the organoid’s liquid environment. A tactile stimulus that evokes measurable responses in the organoid’s neural activity, which in turn are used to shape the light and sound that envelops the room, completing the two-way channel of communication between person and mini-brain – a conversation between two human entities.
At the heart of the space, a glass vessel cradles the active organoid, fed by a network of ventilation tubes linked to an incubator, where a colony of sibling organoids is carefully maintained. Every three days, to ensure its ongoing vitality, the featured organoid is rotated out and replaced with another, continuing the cycle of biological care.
The cerebral organoids used in Plato’s Prisoners exhibit a striking resemblance to the early stages of human brain development, forming complex neural pathways akin to those in embryonic brains. Yet, unlike human embryos, which are subject to strict ethical limitations such as the 14-day rule, these bodiless brains exist in a moral grey area—free to develop beyond thresholds that would otherwise trigger ethical alarm, reaching the age of 90 days upon the exhibition opening.
The work invites audiences to reflect on the nature of reality and consciousness. Asking themselves: Are these bodiless brains any less human than they are? Or: How developed must they become before we give them the same ethical considerations we do other living organisms?
www.codylukas.com/platos-prisoners
www.codylukas.com/eden/platos-prisoners.mp4
Artwork by Cody Lukas
Created in close collaboration with researchers at the University of Southern Denmark: Marie Sejberg Øhlenschlæger, Pia Jensen, and Martin Røssel Larsen
The artwork was created for the exhibition "EDEN" at Kunshal Nord, Denmark; which was created with support from Region Nordjylland, SparNord Fonden, Politikken Fonden, Aalborg University, and the University of Southern Denmark.
Cody Lukas (DK) is a Danish-Canadian artist, specializing in conceptual art, driven by a fascination with emerging technologies, ranging from synthetic biology to machine learning. His work engages with cutting-edge research, transforming abstract scientific concepts into accessible and thought-provoking experiences. From interactive soft robotics to architectural installations made of living materials, his works bring attention to the fragile and evolving nature of our living environment, encouraging dialogue about sustainability, identity, and the ethical implications of new technologies.
Cody Lukas (DK) is a Danish-Canadian artist, specializing in conceptual art, driven by a fascination with emerging technologies, ranging from synthetic biology to machine learning. His work engages with cutting-edge research, transforming abstract scientific concepts into accessible and thought-provoking experiences. From interactive soft robotics to architectural installations made of living materials, his works bring attention to the fragile and evolving nature of our living environment, encouraging dialogue about sustainability, identity, and the ethical implications of new technologies.
Plato’s Prisoners places lab-grown mini-brains, cerebral organoids, at the center of a sensory and ethical exploration. In the installation, these living clusters of human cells respond to speech, control light and sound, and create the impression of a dialogue between human and organoid. The work highlights how closely these disembodied brains resemble the early stages of human cognition—while receiving little to no ethical protection. It confronts us with an urgent question: At what point does cellular life become worthy of ethical consideration? The jury was impressed by Plato's Prisoners powerful staging of a largely invisible but urgent issue.
Plato’s Prisoners places lab-grown mini-brains, cerebral organoids, at the center of a sensory and ethical exploration. In the installation, these living clusters of human cells respond to speech, control light and sound, and create the impression of a dialogue between human and organoid. The work highlights how closely these disembodied brains resemble the early stages of human cognition—while receiving little to no ethical protection. It confronts us with an urgent question: At what point does cellular life become worthy of ethical consideration? The jury was impressed by Plato's Prisoners powerful staging of a largely invisible but urgent issue.