Press Releases

What will pets and farm animals look like in a thousand years time? With climate change and an increasing human population will we need smaller, cleaner, transportable pets? How about a micro dog the size of a mobile or would you breed a lightweight tortoise for speed? Addressing some of these questions is the Future Animals exhibition, which opened officially at National Museum Cardiff yesterday (Tuesday, 23 March 2010).

Featuring everything from a zip up sheep to a guard koala, from penguin skittles to cuddly snakes, the new, free display includes imaginative drawings by young people from Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr, St Alban's RC Pontypool and Cardiff ITEC Solutions. Visitors can even design a 'future animal' of their own and put it up for others to see!

The exhibition is the result of three full day workshops in December 2009 when the participating students were encouraged to think about pets and farm animals of the future. A team of archaeologists, a learning officer, a genetic scientist and an award winning artist were all on hand to interpret their creations and to offer helpful information and advice.

Artist Paul Evans said:

“As well as being creative fun, the workshop was also designed to incorporate an ethical dimension. We asked the young people participating in workshops about the rights and wrongs of all this. Is it right for us to change the way animals look and behave just so that we can have a cute or cuddly companion or a docile source of food?”

A short film documenting their thoughts and feelings about these issues can be viewed in the second gallery space devoted to the exhibition.

Future Animals is a creative project funded by Beacons for Wales and is the result of collaboration between Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, Cardiff University School of History and Archaeology, the artist Paul Evans and Techniquest. The team includes Dr Jacqui Mulville from Cardiff University School of History and Archaeology, Professor Mike Bruford from Cardiff University School of Biosciences, Tina Crimp, STEM Ambassadors Manager at Techniquest, a number of Cardiff University postgraduate students and Ciara Charnley, National Sciences Education Officer, Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales. She said:

“It is a privilege to be able to exhibit the students’ hard work at National Museum Cardiff. They were truly inspired by Paul - the artist and the rest of the team, which is apparent in their art. The display demonstrates young people in South Wales have very creative minds!”

Jacqui Mulville, a specialist in the archaeology of animals added:

“To bring alive the role that humans had in ‘designing’ past and present animals using our specialist knowledge of the archaeology, history and genetics of dogs was really satisfying. The student’s response to our challenge to then create future animals was fabulous and it was fun to see how archaeology and genetics can inspire such fantastic visions for our future.”

Further information can be found on the project blog: www.futureanimals.wordpress.com or through contacting Ciara Charnley, Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales on 029 2057 3123.

Entry to the exhibition is free, thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales administers seven national museums across Wales. They are National Museum Cardiff; St Fagans: National History Museum; National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon; Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon; National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre; National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

- Ends -

For further information please contact Catrin Mears, Communications Officer, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales on 029 2057 3185 or email catrin.mears@museumwales.ac.uk.