Possibly one of the most interesting attractions on the Strip, Bodies …The Exhibition puts on display the marvels of the human body. From full human skeletons to preserved organs and nerves, the exhibits here are astonishing. Not to mention, the educational content is vast, with informational videos and signage that cover topics like athletics and mental health, or simply include some fun facts. But there’s one section in particular that adds to the depth of this exhibit like no other.
In collaboration with the Alternative Limb Project, Bodies…The Exhibition includes imaginative prosthetic limbs that meld the functional art form of creating artificial appendages with surrealistic and fanciful concepts. Each created for a different purpose, these pieces often reflect the amputee’s interests or contribute to a larger piece of performance art.
Recently, Alternative Limb Project founder and artist Sophie de Oliveira Barata unveiled a new piece in the exhibition; Materialise, an arm that is highly realistic on the underside, but features interchangeable sections made from materials that represent its wearer on the top of the limb. Also on display is Cuckoo, a striking prosthetic leg carved from cherry wood that features a working cuckoo clock, bell and pendulum.
“All the limbs are completely unique; all completely different … My background is making realistic-looking limbs for amputees, and then I just started thinking, back in 2011, there wasn’t really much available for people. It was either people who would have the components on show, or they would blend into society by having something realistic,” de Oliveira Barata told Las Vegas Magazine. “And there’s definitely a place for that, but I just felt that there could be something that celebrated their uniqueness … I thought from a rehabilitation perspective, psychologically it was quite powerful, claiming control over your body.”
Creating these limbs is no easy feat, and while de Oliveira Barata is the founder of the project, she works with a team of skilled specialists for each piece.
“There’s challenges all the way along because the process is different every time ... In the beginning I say, ‘Oh, anything’s possible,’ because it’s better to think that way, and then we can rein it in, rather than doing it the classic way.”
Tackling these challenges requires the help of prosthetist Chris Parsons of Design Prosthetics to perfect fit and functionality. From there, de Oliveira Barata collaborates with experts such as woodworkers and electrical engineers, who specialize in whatever materials that the pieces might require.
“It’s quite nice to then see these limbs deconstructed and made up in different materials and reimagining the body in a different way,” de Oliveira Barata said. “It’s stepping out of the clinical … and then stepping into the art and imaginary world, fusing those two, which is really exciting.”
The project perfectly contrasts the organic forms that fill Bodies …The Exhibition. With transhumanism, a philosophical and scientific movement that seeks to use technology to elevate the human experience, a central theme, the inclusion of these limbs forces visitors to think outside what they may consider possible.
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