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Friday, April 25, 2003
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Paul Allen Unveils New Project Devoted to Science Fiction
Philanthropist and investor Paul G. Allen has announced plans for
a new cultural project dedicated to science fiction.
A separate nonprofit institution to be co-located with Seattle's
Experience Music Project museum at Seattle Center,
the new science fiction museum will open in summer 2004.
Temporarily named The Science Fiction Experience, the project
will provide exhibit experiences that inspire appreciation
of science fiction's
history, creativity and contributions, while at the same time
recognizing notable science fiction creators and their creations.
Included in the exhibit will be works by Isaac Asimov,
Ursula Le Guin, H.G. Wells, George Lucas, Chesley Bonestell,
Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Gene Rodenberry, James Cameron,
Octavia Butler and Steven Spielberg, to name a few.
"Science fiction has always been a vehicle for entertainment,
but more importantly it's a genre that is forward-looking by
nature, expanding people's views of science, technology and
the future - and their exciting possibilities," said Paul G.
Allen, founder of the project. "Whether presented in literature,
films, comic books or the visual arts, science fiction reflects
and comments on humankind's hopes, dreams and fears. It considers
the implications of imagined science and technology on humanity --
and sometimes that imagination dovetails with reality. Co-locating
the new museum at EMP leverages the ability of both projects to
encourage critical thinking about culture and society -- one
through the lens of music, and the other through the lens of
science fiction."
The project's advisory board is a veritable "Who's Who" of the
science fiction community. The board includes such notable authors,
artists, scientists, educators, filmmakers and media experts as
Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451), Arthur C. Clarke (2001: A Space
Odyssey), Donna Shirley (manager of Jet Propulsion Laboratory's
Mars Exploration program), Lawrence Krauss (internationally
renowned theoretical physicist and author of The Physics of
Star Trek), Octavia Butler (the country's foremost African-American
science fiction author, including the Xenogenesis trilogy) and
Dennis Muren (senior visuals effects supervisor at Industrial
Light & Magic and winner of eight Academy Awards).
A one-of-a-kind collection of rare artifacts and memorabilia from
around the world will be featured along with hands-on and
interpretive exhibits that explore science fiction, promote
critical thinking and encourage awareness and appreciation of
science fiction's significance and value. The five key areas in
The Science Fiction Experience's 13,000 square feet of exhibit
space are listed below.
Five Key Areas of the Science Fiction Experience
- Homeworld
A gallery that introduces visitors to science fiction and creates
opportunities to explore science fiction's icons, its reflection
on science, society and the human spirit, and its influence on
invention and discovery. In addition, this exhibit offers a look
at not-so-weird science: the many real life inventions that were
suggested, or even directly inspired, by science fiction (from
the communications satellite to the waterbed). Central to
Homeworld is a science fiction "hall of fame" that celebrates
and honors the extraordinary creators and creations of science
fiction.
- Fantastic Voyages
Whether a literal voyage across space and time, or a symbolic
metaphor for transformation, in this gallery visitors find
themselves aboard a starship where they investigate the technology
and gadgetry of science fiction, discover why journeys are
launched and learn how they are accomplished. From various modes
of travel (space ships, time machines, inner journeys, scale
change) to the motivations behind travel (curiosity, conquest,
profit, self-preservation, happenstance), this exhibit highlights
how journeys can span the cosmos with adventure and heroics, or
simply reflect complex themes central to humanity. Designed to
resemble a classic spaceship interior (such as the Millennium
Falcon or Nostromo), this space offers a spaceship drydock, a
phaser test bench and the highlights of real-life technologies
and their sci-fi counterparts.
- Brave New Worlds
Whether utopias or post-apocalyptic nightmares, here visitors
experience what it might be like to live in a variety of possible
futures (with artifacts from futures such as Bladerunner,
Metropolis or The Matrix). Each era of science fiction has
served as a reflection of the concerns, aspirations and
predictions of the time in which it was created; the fictional
accounts of future societies provide a venue for commentary on
the role of government, politics, society and culture.
- Them!
An environmentally immersive area featuring creatures, strange
beings and bug-eyed monsters from literature, movies and
television. With a range of video, graphics, artifacts and
special effects, this area explores how our fear of aliens, as
well as admiration of more advanced species, are really an
examination of our own potential for good or evil. Sometimes "the
other" represents our own sense of alienation from the familiar,
or from those who are different from us. Other times, it
represents who we want to become. This exhibit area offers
an engaging - and often surprising - experience with other
species and ourselves.
- Make Contact
This area forms the basis of a local and national outreach program
to make the content and experiences of The Science Fiction
Experience accessible to teachers, students, families, after-school
groups, and science and technology museums worldwide. On a personal
level, it also offers various opportunities for visitors to build
on their experiences by finding the latest information on local
and global events, gatherings and clubs, and connecting with
others who share their science fiction interests.
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