_GOD_MODE_, 2023
Stills: _GOD_MODE_, Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, 2023
_GOD_MODE_ (2023) was commissioned by Wellcome Collection for Larry Achiampong & David Blandy’s first museum exhibition as a duo, Genetic Automata. The film is a reflection on the legacy of Francis Galton, who established eugenics as an academic discipline at University College London (UCL) in 1904. The artists consider the roots and implications of scientific racism, exploring how traces of eugenic practices have left their mark across society today, from education to medicine and politics, whilst presenting hopes for an alternative future.
In _GOD_MODE_ , Blandy and Achiampong present the history of eugenics and explore its present-day legacy in philosophical, poetic and polemic terms. Filmed in two halves, the first is voiced by Blandy, who is white and middle class, born in London, of English heritage. He alludes to intelligence tests, racist and sexist discrimination, and the systemic use of sterilisation across the Western world, all under the guise of objective science. His poignant testimony is layered upon footage from UCL’s Science Collections and features some of the instruments Galton used to measure and categorise people, a selection of which are displayed alongside the film.
In the second half of the film, Achiampong, who is Black and working class, born in London of Ghanaian heritage, delivers a lyrical yet powerful account that questions the limits of empathy in the struggle against injustice, suggesting that what is needed is not simply solidarity but real change, which would necessitate the demolition of generations of privilege. This part of the film visually invites the viewers into an immersive videogame environment following a large spider as it travels different landscapes – a reference to the West African folklore legend of Anansi, a shapeshifting demi-god, who changes form to achieve their aims.
Created using Unreal engine, a 3D computer graphics engine commonly used to create videogames, and part of Blandy and Achiampong’s artistic practice, _GOD_MODE_ contains multiple references to videogames, including its title which is a cheat code that makes a player invincible and, in this work, alludes to the idea of playing God and the myth of genetic superiority.
Installation view of Genetic Automata - Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Wellcome Collection, London
Photo credits: Steven Pocock
Larry Achiampong and David Blandy live and work in London, Essex and Brighton. Their collaborative practice is brought together by friendship and their shared interest in popular culture and the postcolonial condition. Genetic Automata is the third series they have developed together and began in 2018, and their presentation at Wellcome Collection, their first museum exhibition as a duo.
Wellcome Collection, London
Genetic Automata - Larry Achiampong & David Blandy / 8 June 2023 – 11 February 2024
_GOD_MODE_ featured as part of an exhibition at the Black Cultural Archives in London in October 2023 and inspired a programme of activity that took place at Wellcome Connecting Science in June 2023.
