SOS (SAVE OUR SKINS)

Will it happen? 

SOS (Save Our Skins), 2005 & 2026
Blow touch on wool
Unique work
H300 x W300 x D5cm
© Mark Humphrey

“SOS (SAVE OUR SKINS) TRANSFORMS THE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED DISTRESS SIGNAL INTO A WARNING FOR HUMANITY. BURNT INTO INDIVIDUAL WOOL RUG SQUARES AND ARRANGED LIKE A SCRABBLE BOARD, THE LETTERS SPELL ‘SOS’ – A MESSAGE OF URGENT DANGER AND A CALL FOR HELP.

THE FAMILIAR LANGUAGE OF THE SHIPPING WARNING BECOMES SOMETHING MORE IMMEDIATE. THE RUG BECOMES A MESSAGE BENEATH OUR FEET, SUGGESTING THAT THE DISTRESS SIGNAL IS NO LONGER COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE – IT IS COMING FROM US.

FOR CENTURIES, HUMANS HAVE PLACED THEMSELVES ABOVE THE NATURAL WORLD – CONTROLLING ANIMALS, EXPLOITING RESOURCES AND SHAPING THE PLANET AROUND OUR NEEDS. WE HAVE BECOME THE DOMINANT FORCE ON EARTH. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMETHING WE CREATE BECOMES MORE POWERFUL THAN US?

THE WORK CONFRONTS THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF AI AND ROBOTICS AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT TECHNOLOGY CREATED BY HUMANS COULD ULTIMATELY CHALLENGE HUMAN CONTROL. THE SPECIES THAT HAS DOMINATED THE NATURAL WORLD COULD ITSELF BECOME CONTROLLED, REPLACED OR EVEN MADE EXTINCT BY ITS OWN CREATIONS.“

Mark Humphrey