Exploring the Future of Life: The Earth 1002025 Exhibition

The Earth 1002025 exhibition, created by Artists-in-Residence Argha Manna and Suman Chaudhury at IIT Gandhinagar (IITGN), is now on display at the Goethe Institute Hyderabad’s Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills. The exhibition opened on Apr 10, 2025, following its successful debut at IITGN’s Curiosity Conclave and subsequent showings at renowned institutions like CSIR-CCMB (Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology) and TIFR Hyderabad. The exhibition will be open until Apr 25, 2025.

Earth 1002025 is inspired by the Ant Network Theory (ANT), a concept first proposed in 2019 by Professors Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay (University of Oslo) and Geoffrey Bowker (UC Irvine). ANT presents a speculative exploration into the evolution of non-human intelligence and collective swarm intelligence, originally published as a manifesto for Science and Technology studies in NatureCulture.

The exhibition is an excerpt from a graphic novel by Argha Manna, a historian of science and visual artist, that expands upon the ideas set forth in ANT. Through seven thought-provoking stories, Earth 1002025 imagines a dystopian future where humanity faces extinction, giving rise to new forms of life driven by collective intelligence and multispecies evolution. The narrative explores themes of coevolution, post-species development, and the concept of superbeings—hybrids of multiple species that bypass traditional evolutionary paths. The exhibit reflects on a world where language and cultural barriers are dissolved, and where ants’ collective intelligence serves as a model for future life.

The exhibition’s first story, “Home in The Nuclear Winter,” sets the tone, presenting a world where humanity and other known creatures are decimated in a global nuclear conflict. Surviving nomads who believe in collective intelligence and coevolution become the last hope for life on Earth. Subsequent stories envision the reemergence of life, through the renewal of essential elements such as soil, air, and water, creating a new ecosystem in which species evolve beyond traditional boundaries.

The Earth 1002025 exhibition has been met with great enthusiasm from audiences and experts alike. The inaugural event at Goethe Zentrum Hyderabad featured a captivating talk titled “Life Finds a Way,” followed by a panel discussion with Jahnavi Joshi, Senior Scientist at CSIR-CCMB, and Tejah Balantrapu, Senior Communicator at LV Prasad Eye Institute.

The exhibition offers a unique fusion of art, science fiction, and speculative thought, inviting viewers to explore a future where life, in all its forms, adapts and thrives through collective intelligence and collaboration. With its ongoing display at Goethe Institute Hyderabad, Earth 1002025 is a timely and thought-provoking reflection on the future of life on Earth and beyond.