“Beyond Genes… Genetic Code vs. Cultural Code” is an extraordinary installation that combines science, art, and reflection on who we are and where we come from.

During the opening, Prof. Marek Figlerowicz from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences emphasised that the project attempts to demonstrate that science helps us not only to discover the truth about the world, but also to lay the foundations for an informed society in times of dynamic change and oversimplification.

The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through 3.5 billion years of life on Earth, right up to modern humans. It tells the story of biology, genes, culture and migrations that have shaped humanity over thousands of years. Marcin Osuch (MSc), from the IBCH PAS, pointed out that we all possess both biological and cultural heritage and that, for the most part, human history has been a history of constant movement and change.

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the University of Arts and the City of Poznań.

Agata Kulczyk (Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Graphic Arts and Visual Communication at the University of Arts) highlighted the immense effort put in by the students, who took on the challenging task of translating complex scientific concepts into the language of art and visual communication. Meanwhile, Iwona Matuszczak-Szulc (Director of the Department of City Development and International Cooperation) emphasised the importance of distinguishing between facts and stereotypes, and of demonstrating the influence of biology and culture on our perception of human history.

The exhibition is open until 3 July at Plac Wolności in Poznań.

We warmly invite you to visit the exhibition and view human history from a completely new perspective — where science, art, and culture converge.