Is this your future?

Made:
2004 in unknown place
artist:
Dunne & Raby

'Is this your future' is a twelve-part installation commissioned from Fiona Raby and Tony Dunne produced for the Energy Gallery at the Science Museum in 2004. The installation imagined three possible scenarios for alternative future energy use: hydrogen, recycled human poo, and animal blood. Each scenario is presented through a photograph of a family using the alternative energy, alongside 2 or 3 objects. The photographs were taken by Jason Evans, the objects were produced or sourced by Dunne & Raby.

In the hydrogen scenario, a little girl earns her pocket money by selling hydrogen. The photograph shows her being waved off by her parents. The objects comprise a hydrogen bottle, birthday card and dress uniform. In the recycled poo scenario, collecting and gifting poo is part of daily life. The photograph shows a girl giving her gift-wrapped poo to the hostess of a birthday party. The objects present this fake gift-wrapped poo, alongside a lunchbox for storing poo alongside lunch, and a leaflet advertising a special loo seat. In the scenario for using animal blood, domestic animals are used to produce energy. The photograph shows two children breeding hamsters for their blood. These are accompanied by an academic book on the subject, and a radio that runs off blood in a bag in the shape of a teddy bear, designed to be more appealing to children.

The Energy Gallery commissions are an important moment in the history of contemporary commissioning at the Science Museum, when art was commissioned in relation to every major capital project. Dunne & Raby pioneered an artistic practice which they call ‘speculative design’, intended to stimulate conversation about emerging technologies among designers, industry and the public. Their legendary teaching at the Royal College of Art directly influenced artists who also went on to work with the Science Museum on other galleries. ‘Is this your future?’ continues to present a playful, thoughtful response to questions around the future of energy consumption.

Details

Category:
Art
Object Number:
2019-233
Materials:
plastic (unidentified), wood (unidentified) and paper (fibre product)
Measurements:
Book: 230 mm x 150 mm x 50 mm,
Toilet leaflet: 200 mm x 135 mm x 1 mm,
Photo - blood: 920 mm x 620 mm x 3 mm,
Photo - hydrogen: 920 mm x 620 mm x 3 mm,
Photo - poo: 920 mm x 620 mm x 3 mm,
Poo gift bag: 60 mm x 80 mm x 90 mm,
Uniform: 520 mm x 360 mm x 90 mm,
Birthday card 1: 195 mm x 130 mm x 4 mm,
Birthday card 2: 195 mm x 130 mm x 4 mm,
Teddy radio: 320 mm x 160 mm x 120 mm,
Lunch box: 120 mm x 220 mm x 140 mm,
Electrolyser: 320 mm x 10 mm x 8 mm,
type:
artwork
credit:
Commissioned by the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, 2004

Parts

Is this your future?: Hydrogen photo

Is this your future?: Hydrogen photo

Photograph by Jason Evans from the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A large photograph on aluminium of two adults and a small girl, all in blue uniforms, against a white background. The adults face us, the man's hand raised, behind a fence, while the little girl faces out of the left of the frame in front of the fence, also waving. She stands on grass with a small cat t...

Measurements:
overall: 920 mm x 620 mm x 3 mm,
Materials:
paper printed on aluminium dibond
Object Number:
2019-233/1
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: Hydrogen birthday card

Is this your future?: Hydrogen birthday card

Object designed for the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A card with pin badge. The dark blue card says 'Happy Birthday' at top, '8 Today' below, both in white. At centre a round white badge with dark blue writing 'I make my own / hydrogen' surrounding a single shape resembling a skittle, person or bottle. The inside of the card dark blue with white writing. Inside fron...

Measurements:
overall: 195 mm x 130 mm x 4 mm,
Materials:
cardboard
Object Number:
2019-233/2
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: Hydrogen birthday card

Is this your future?: Hydrogen birthday card

Object designed for the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A card with pin badge. The dark blue card says 'Happy Birthday' at top, '8 Today' below, both in white. At centre a round white badge with dark blue writing 'I make my own / hydrogen' surrounding a single shape resembling a skittle, person or bottle. The inside of the card dark blue with white writing. Inside fron...

Measurements:
overall: 195 mm x 130 mm x 4 mm,
Materials:
cardboard
Object Number:
2019-233/3
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: Hydrogen electrolyser

Is this your future?: Hydrogen electrolyser

Object designed for the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A silver metal bottle with a logo on the front in dark blue, 'Jones Family Hydrogen' with a group of two large and two small shapes resembling skittles, people or bottles. The cap of the bottle is a white flower with a scale at centre with a black hand. A white accompanying label with 'Instructions' in blue text....

Measurements:
overall: 320 mm x 10 mm x 8 mm,
Materials:
aluminium (metal)
Object Number:
2019-233/4
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: Hydrogen uniform

Is this your future?: Hydrogen uniform

Object designed for the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A child-sized dark blue dress with rounded collar, long sleeves with white frills to the cuffs, and a knee-length a-line skirt, gathered at the waist, also edged with a white frill. There are two pens in pockets on the left sleeve. On the chest of the dress a logo in white 'Jones Family Hydrogen' with a group of t...

Measurements:
overall: 520 mm x 360 mm x 90 mm,
Materials:
polyester and cotton
Object Number:
2019-233/5
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: 'Poo' photo

Is this your future?: 'Poo' photo

Photograph by Jason Evans from the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A large photograph on aluminium of a woman and a small girl in a white room surrounded by pale pink and silver balloons. There are pink cups and tied transparent bags on a table to the right. The girl hands a similar tied bag to the woman. Both wear pink tops, the woman wears a pink part hat.

Measurements:
overall: 920 mm x 620 mm x 3 mm,
Materials:
paper printed on aluminium dibond
Object Number:
2019-233/6
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: 'Poo' lunch box

Is this your future?: 'Poo' lunch box

Object designed for the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A box made up of two conjoined poliwood cylinders with white sides and a red lid. The left-hand lid is labelled 'Lunch', the right-hand labelled 'Poo'. Each has a tab to lift the lid. A white strap attaches to either side of the box.

Measurements:
overall: 120 mm x 220 mm x 140 mm,
Materials:
chemiwood and polyester
Object Number:
2019-233/7
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: 'Poo' gift bag

Is this your future?: 'Poo' gift bag

Object designed for the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A transparent plastic bag, tied with a red ribbon and filled with an artificial swirl of poo.

Measurements:
overall: 60 mm x 80 mm x 90 mm,
Materials:
plastic , polythene and polyester
Object Number:
2019-233/8
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: 'Poo' toilet graphic

Is this your future?: 'Poo' toilet graphic

Object designed for the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A graphic sheet resembling a file divider, largely white with two punched holes to the left. A protruding black tab at top right has the word 'Toilets' in white. On the body of the card, the words 'Toilet stool' in black above a three-legged stool with a black seat with a toilet-seat shaped hole in the centre. Bel...

Measurements:
overall: 200 mm x 135 mm x 1 mm,
Materials:
paper (fibre product)
Object Number:
2019-233/9
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: Blood photo

Is this your future?: Blood photo

Photograph by Jason Evans from the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A large photograph on aluminium of two children in a white room, with a window partly visible to the left. Both wear yellow T-shirts and red shorts. One stands at the back, arm raised above a white sideboard and screen, with a red hamster cage beside it. The other sits cross-legged on the floor, surrou...

Measurements:
overall: 920 mm x 620 mm x 3 mm,
Materials:
paper printed on aluminium dibond
Object Number:
2019-233/10
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: Blood book

Is this your future?: Blood book

Object designed for the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A hardback book with a red cover entitled 'Animals for Energy: Avoiding emotional attachment to animals purchased for use as energy' by Nicholas Boyd. An outline drawing on the cover shows a hand holding a mouse upside down by the tail.

Measurements:
overall: 230 mm x 150 mm x 50 mm,
Materials:
paper (fibre product)
Object Number:
2019-233/11
type:
artwork
Is this your future?: Blood radio

Is this your future?: Blood radio

Object designed for the installation 'Is this your future?' by Dunne and Raby, 2004. A transparent bag in the shape of a silhouetted teddy bear is filled with what appears to be blood and mounted upright on a white plastic base to which it is attached by a tube.

Measurements:
overall: 320 mm x 160 mm x 120 mm,
Materials:
plastic , fake blood , corian , PVC and leatherette
Object Number:
2019-233/12
type:
artwork