Algernon Becomes a Bird: Maggot Box is part of the Shrines for Algernon series, a collection reflecting on the ethical complexities of using Fetal Calf Serum (FCS) in cell and tissue culture. This work features a resin-coated plaster cast of Algernon, a fetal calf collected from an abattoir in Queensland in 2009. The cast is adorned with feathers on its back and displayed in a custom glass case, symbolising a transformative, almost mythological transition.

Accompanied by elements like live grass and a nest of maggots that emerge from beneath the sculpture, the installation draws attention to the interconnected cycles of life and death. Through these natural elements, Algernon Becomes a Bird evokes a tension between benefit and harm, reflecting on how the use of animal life in science exists within a continuum of sacrifice and regeneration. The work invites viewers to contemplate the ethical implications of scientific practices and how life and death are interwoven in both biological and cultural contexts.

The work forms part of The Absence of Alice series.