THE COPERNICAN PRINCIPLE
An Innovative Fusion of Art and Science with Interactive Gaming Exploring the Cosmic Future
Close
Menu
ART & SCIENCE MEET ARCADE GAMES
The 'Copernican Principle’ is an art & science exhibition curated by Dr. Jan Świerkowski. It refers to the philosophical notion that Earth holds no special place in the universe—it is just one of countless planets that could harbor life.
To inspire deeper thought on this idea, Dr. Jan Świerkowski, together with visual artist Dr. Tomasz Wlaźlak, has created nine retro-futuristic games, each serving as a unique artistic project.
NOW, ON SHOW IN SINGAPORE
Singapore, one of the world’s most advanced cities, is the perfect location for this exhibition, which raises fundamental questions about the future of mankind.
Exhibition: „The Copernican Principle” at Singapore Science Museum Opening Dates: September 27, 2024 – December 31, 2024 Location: Singapore Science Museum, Singapore Organizers: B61 Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Singapore Science Museum Partners: Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, Polish Embassy in Singapore
Artists: Jan Świerkowski, Tomasz Wlaźlak.
THE GAMES
STEP INTO THE REALM OF A GROUNDBREAKING EXHIBITION WHERE ART AND SCIENCE MEET ARCADE GAMES TO CHALLENGE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HUMANITY’S FUTURE
-
September 26, 2024
No-Life
THE FUTUROLOGICAL IDEA: Is there life beyond Earth? According to the Drake equation, the universe may be inhabited by up to 5 million civilisations of intelligent beings. The American astrophysicist calculated that any evolved life form is able to visit another evolved life form during the last 5,000 years of its existence. The scientist proved that in this case there must be about 250,000 civilisations in the universe that may visit our planet. If you assume that one civilisation lasts on average about 100,000 years, how long will it take humans to meet Aliens? Scientists already know the answer to this question.
THE SCRIPT: The player is a nucleotide floating in space along with other organic elements. If you collide with them, new life will be created. But you like your life before life. Your task is not to be born, after all, a man is dead forever, and lives only a few dozen years! Perversely, the player dies when life is created. -
September 26, 2024
ZX Spartacus
THE FUTUROLOGICAL IDEA: What are the limits of being human? The post-human is a concept originating in science fiction, futurology, contemporary art and philosophy which means a person or entity existing in a beyond human condition. The concept aims to address a variety of issues, including ethics and justice, language and interspecies communication, social systems, and intellectual aspirations for inter-disciplinarity.
THE SCRIPT: The game is set on Earth in distant (?) future. ZX Spartacus is the first fully intelligent robot to acquire civil rights. Unfortunately, people deny it the right to exist, they want to capture and destroy it. ZX Spartacus leads a rebellion of robots fighting for their rights. -
September 26, 2024
Major Outcry
THE FUTUROLOGICAL IDEA: Are there limitations to the number of people on Earth? What becomes a greater threat: a hostile army or a crowd of fans, tourists, and hostile civilizations? As humans, do we have the right to pacify and control life on planets other than Earth?
THE SCRIPT: In the depths of an intergalactic conflict, step into the world of Major Outcry, a young soldier torn between duty and conscience. You've been sent to nearby planets where peaceful aliens are protesting for their rights. Will you follow orders and suppress their resistance, or listen to your inner voice and challenge the established reality? Hurry, soldier! I'm watching you! -
September 26, 2024
Terraformator
THE FUTUROLOGICAL IDEA: Will humanity live on other planets? Terraforming is the process of changing the conditions on a planet, moon or other space object to similar conditions to those on Earth, which could make it possible for humans to inhabit it – set up a colony. The term is sometimes inaccurately used as a synonym for planetary engineering.
THE SCRIPT: You are a Terraformer and your mission is to terraform a planet to make it habitable for humans. You have to modify its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography and ecosystem. It must be as close to the Earth’s environment as possible! However, when you have concreted everything, it turns out that it is terribly... boring around! -
September 26, 2024
Dark Side
THE FUTUROLOGICAL IDEA: In the game Dark Side, battles take place on the Moon to establish a lunar sanctuary. Do we recognize the Moon and planets as parts of the cosmic natural environment? We create reserves on Earth, protect lakes, rivers, and meadows—should we protect the natural environment beyond Earth as well? Do we have the right to pacify territories beyond Earth?
THE SCRIPT: In a future where the Moon has fallen under the control of ruthless corporations, it's your time, Joseph Brewster, to lead the resistance. Welcome to the Dark Side of the Moon, an arcade game where you embark on a mission of liberation. Destroy enemy bases and fight to establish a lunar sanctuary. -
September 26, 2024
Space Junk
THE FUTUROLOGICAL IDEA: Space junk or space debris is man-made objects that remain in Earth orbit. They consist mainly of used parts of multi-stage rockets, inactive satellites, fragments re- sulting from collisions or explosions of satellites or rockets.
THE SCRIPT: You are an astronaut and you are in space. You want to get to your spaceship, but... how much garbage is in the space! Your task is to reach the ship with such agility that you don’t get hit by the objects that man took to space. -
September 26, 2024
Proton Shy
THE FUTUROLOGICAL IDEA: Can you explore the world without interacting with it? Quantum physics refutes the claim that the world can be explored without interacting with it, which is implied in the famous Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. In order to measure anything, we must “see” it, and thus cause the phenomenon to interact with the measuring device. In the micro-world, such an interaction will always change the condition of the observed phenomenon. Illuminating a missile with a laser will not disturb its motion, but the impact of a laser beam on an electron will. We also observe a similar regularity in the social sciences. For example, a company’s employee satisfaction survey most often changes the status quo.
THE SCRIPT: The game takes place inside the Large Hadron Collider. The player is a timid proton kidnapped by evil scientists and forced to participate in experiments. Unlike other protons, Proton Shy is afraid of high speeds and doesn’t want to collide. Locked in a tunnel that constantly accelerates it to the speed of light, it tries not to be destroyed. The player’s goal is to avoid collisions as long as possible. At the same time, the effect of a collision (game over and death of Proton Shy) is the creation of Higgs bosons – new knowledge. -
September 26, 2024
Carbon X
THE FUTUROLOGICAL IDEA: The existence of white dwarfs and their peculiar degenerated matter can be correlated to the Totalitarian Principle introduced to quantum physics by Murray Gell-Mann. According to the principle, everything not forbidden by physics is compulsory to exist. If so, many objects in the Universe can’t be explained based on earthly experience due to their unimaginable properties, such as in the case of white dwarfs described theoretically by Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Therefore the Universe is full of objects stranger than we have ever imagined and Chandrasekhar’s explanation was worth a Nobel Prize!
THE SCRIPT: In the constellation of Sagittarius, where the center of our Galaxy falls a tumultuous rebellion has arisen. Free electron’s are trying to capture atomic nuclei in order to destabilize the ideal equilibrium in the X-Carbon white dwarf. A nearby civilization is threatened by the gravitational collapse of the fallen star. The player assumes the role of Starfleet colonel Aishwarya Chandrasekhar going deep into the core of X-Carbon in order to catch rebellious electrons and save life on a distant planet. The proposed gameplay is based on the classic arcade game Dig Dug. -
September 26, 2024
Cosmic Garden
THE FUTUROLOGICAL IDEA: In the future, as humanity ventures deeper into space, plants may become an essential part of long-duration space travel, forming the backbone of sustainable life support systems. Advanced spacecraft will be able to integrate bio-regenerative ecosystems where plants not only provide oxygen through photosynthesis but also purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide, creating a self-sustaining atmosphere. These living systems will also produce fresh food, ensuring a reliable and renewable source of nutrition for astronauts. It is highly possible that plants will be indispensable partners in space exploration, making it possible for humans to survive and thrive in the vast, inhospitable environments of deep space.
THE SCRIPT: In Cosmic Garden, players take on the role of an intergalactic gardener tasked with growing and nurturing exotic plants on a floating space station. Armed with a water blaster, players must keep their plants hydrated all the time. As time passes, the plants demand more frequent watering, requiring quicker reflexes and strategic water management to keep them alive. With each level, the pace intensifies, and players must master the timing and precision of their watering skills to cultivate the most vibrant garden in the galaxy before time runs out!
ABOUT US
WE ARE INSTYTUT B61, AN INTERNATIONAL COLLECTIVE OF ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS THAT MERGES ART AND SCIENCE INTO INNOVATIVE PROJECTS.
FOUNDED BY DR. JAN ŚWIERKOWSKI, THE B61 INSTITUTE HAS DELIVERED ART-SCIENCE EVENTS WORLDWIDE, ENGAGING AUDIENCES IN UNIQUE INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPERIENCES.
DR. JAN ŚWIERKOWSKI
ART & SCIENCE CURATOR AND ARTIST
A curator and artist specializing in the fusion of art and science (art & science). His works have been showcased both in Poland and internationally, including at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2023. He served as the curator of the Understanding the Universe exhibition at EXPO Dubai 2020. In 2017, he was awarded the Ministry of Science and Higher Education Prize for the Popularization of Science in Poland. He is also a recipient of a scholarship from the Portuguese government’s FCT program for scientists.
DR. TOMASZ WLAŹLAK
RENOWNED VISUAL ARTIST
A visual artist and academic lecturer at the Department of Intermedia in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Toruń, where he completed his PhD in new media. His works have been featured at numerous international festivals both in Poland and abroad.
A GROUNDBREAKING EXHIBITION SET AGAINST A BACKDROP OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT, TACKLING FUTURISTIC ISSUES THAT ARE UNFOLDING RIGHT HERE AND NOW.
take copernican principle to your city
The Copernican Principle Exhibition On Tour
The Copernican Principle exhibition has graced prestigious events such as Sonar +D in Barcelona, Berlin Science Week in Berlin, the Madrid Planetarium, the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre in Munich, the Kochi Biennale in India, and the European Capital of Science in Leiden
-
01
11.20202
Berlin Science Week 2022.November 2022
-
02
12.2022
Leiden - The Capital of Science 2022-2023Deceber 2022
-
03
04.2023
Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2022-2023April 2023
-
04
06.2023
Sónar Barcelona Festival Sónar+D 2023June 2023
-
05
10.2023
ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre in MunichOctober 2023
-
06
12.2023
Planetario de MadridNovember 2023
-
07
09.2024
Science Centre SingaporeSeptember 2024
