Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst Bring Two-Headed Worms to Venice Biennale

Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst have curated 'Strange Rules' at Palazzo Diedo in Venice alongside Hans-Ulrich Obrist, featuring new work by the duo that includes live two-headed planarian worms. The worms, sourced from Tufts University biologist Michael Levin's lab, are genetically modified to develop two heads and pass the trait to offspring. Herndon and Dryhurst frame this as 'protocol art,' exploring the rules and systems that shape culture and technology. The exhibition also includes works by Trevor Paglen and Avery Singer. Herndon and Dryhurst, known for their experimental vocal music and AI projects like xhairymutantx (2024) and Spawning (2022), argue that software development is the language of our time and that artists should look upstream to the protocols governing cultural production. The worms are viewed through a 1980s Leica microscope and projected for visitors. The couple emphasizes a duty of care to the worms and sees them as mascots questioning the direction of technological progress.