Betray the Secret: Humanity in the Age of "Frankenstein"

Marking the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, Stanford University is organizing Frankenstein@200. This yearlong series of courses, lectures, conferences, and a film festival will highlight the relevance of Shelley’s text today, as artificial intelligence and advances in engineering and medicine increasingly blur the divide between man and machine. An associated exhibition drawn from the Cantor’s permanent collection will explore the idea of what defines humanity in the age of Frankenstein.

GALLERY TALKS: Co-curator of the exhibition, Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, Burton and Deedee McMurtry Curator and Director of the Curatorial Fellowship Program, will explore different facets of the exhibition.
• APRIL 26, 2 PM: Betray the Secret: Humanity in the Age of Frankenstein
An introduction to the Cantor’s contribution to the campus-wide celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s horror novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The talk reveals ways artists have represented the body, life, and death, as well as the boundary separating humanity from technology.
• MAY 16, 2 PM: Science, the Body, and the Artist's Imagination
Explore artists' representations of science and their use of the body as a subject.
• MAY 30, 2 PM: Body Work: Representing Physicians, Surgeons, and Resurrection Men
A closer look at the representation of medical men, philosophers, and the spaces in which they work.

Read the Metro's engaging article about this exhibition. 

This exhibition is organized by the Cantor Arts Center in conjunction with the project Frankenstein@200 at Stanford University. We gratefully acknowledge support of this presentation from the Halperin Exhibitions Fund.