The recent development of CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing technology that allows DNA to become malleable, and the advancements in the study of CHM13, a cell able to build a complete picture of the human genome, are opening up the possibility of creating alternative evolutionary pathways controlled by technology and our own will.

Reflecting on these innovations, in Attempt II, Agnes Questionmark constructs a scenario succeeding a human-induced genetic experiment to create a new species. Positioned on the floor, twelve experimental subjects are contained in cadaver bags due to their foretold death. The title indicates that the performance is the second of a series that began with Attempt I, where the possibility of a genetic evolution was implied through the birthing of an unidentifiable creature. However, such experiments are bound to fail because humanness still cannot be fully transcended. The narrative reflects the artist’s transgendering journey, envisioned as an attempt to overcome the failure of her birth-gender assignment.