BLACK BOX originated in 2019 as a joint project founded by artist Louise Mackenzie and geneticist Kasia Pirog for The Cultural Negotiation of Science and the Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University. Its first iteration as a pop-up sculptural
cinema in the foyer of the Institute for Genetic Medicine in Times Square, Newcastle showcased films by artists and researchers involved in a creative and critical engagement with genetics, alongside films produced by scientists that provide insight into their
research. BLACK BOX has since been presented at Summerhall Visual Arts as part of Edinburgh Science Festival in 2022. In 2024,
BLACK BOX3 was launched, which expands the BLACK BOX project concept to establish an interdisciplinary film community and introduce a permanent
BLACK BOX3 micro-gallery in the science campus of Northumbria University.