In UN/BIASED, the Portuguese design team merged design and science, using bacteria to visualise data streams pertaining to an opaque, yet eroding factor in Portuguese society: sexism. The installation comprised of four maps that contrasted gender gaps in areas such as wages and higher education. Two maps were computer-generated; animated visualisations extrapolated a dystopian future based on ongoing downward spiral trends. The other two maps used biological elements (plants, viruses, and bacteria) to represent an invigorated utopian nation, characterised by progressive socio-economic indicators. Utopia was conveyed by the equalitarian map landscapes and the use of natural elements as instruments for data visualisation.
- Administering Body: Cultivamos Cultura
- Design Team: Marta de Menezes, Pedro Miguel Cruz
- Curator: Manuel Lima
- Supporting Bodies: Embassy of Portugal in the United Kingdom; República Portuguesa/Cultura; Direção-Geral das Artes; IGC, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência; Paula Duque (Plant Molecular Biology Lab); Isabel Gordo (Evolutionary Biology Lab); Joana Gonçalves Sá (Science and Policy Lab); Ana Mena (Outreach Department); Dr. Simon Park (Department of Microbial Sciences, University of Surrey)