Darwin, What? What? | Isabella Rossellini & Paul Magid

Isabella is reading Darwin’s book “Descent of Man” where Darwin makes his case for sexual selection. She dozes off and Darwin’s ghost appears.

Isabella’s clothes have a peacock motif that is giving Darwin a headache. He famously stated, "The sight of a feather in a peacock's tail, whenever I gaze at it, gives me a headache.” This stupendous tail could have undermined his theory of evolution by natural selection.

While natural selection is the struggle for existence via ever evolving and improving abilities to survive, sexual selection is the struggle for existence using the power of seduction in order to mate. The peacock’s ornate feathers could only be justified by sexual selection.

Darwin attributed the development of colorful plumage, songs, and courtship dances to sexual selection. This was very controversial in particular because it recognized that females were not passive at all but have great power in shaping species through their choice of a mate.

Artist: Isabella Rossellini and Paul Magid

Title of artwork: Darwin, What? What?

Duration: 8' 1''

Format: Video

Year: 2020

Filmed and edited by Kirsten Tanjutco

Music by Doug Wieselman

Technical support by Roberto Rossellini

This artwork was created in the context of ENTER project, an initiative of Onassis Foundation. Onassis Stegi and Onassis USA give artists from all around the world 120 hours to create from home a series of new original commissions; sharing their new reality. Let’s ENTER.