Art

Item Description

ARTIST:               Aude Gilger
TITLE:                 Deus Ex, Eve
MEDIUM:            Photomontage printed on dibond, 16” x 20”, unframed

This original artwork was created for Art on Science: 26 études an internattional portfolio featuring pictures by artists and words by scientists. This written commentary is by Philippe Lavalle, Biochimie/ biophysique at INSERN:
 
London 2012 Olympic Games. South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has qualified for the 400m semi-final and is now one of the best athletes in the world. Amputee of both legs during his childhood, he runs with two carbon prostheses, “blades” that replace his legs. Since this event, the participation of an athlete with a prosthesis in track and field events in a “valid”category is prohibited. In addition to his high-level physical qualities, Oscar Pistorius’ blades that replaced his two legs seemed to give him an undeniable advantage.

The numerous works on the development of prostheses and implants were initially launched to repair the Man, to restore to him abilities lost by an illness or a traumatism. But today we speak of “augmented” Man, with capacities superior to his native abilities. Synthetic materials, with mechanical properties far better than those of natural biological materials, associated with the use of electronics and artificial intelligence, make the future developments without limits, and allow us to envisage Men / Machines with incredible capacities. Motorized exosquelettes already allow a man to carry considerable loads of several hundred pounds, but one day could this artificial skeleton be implanted directly into humans ? Can implants be added to “valid” Men who are not “failing”, but only for the purpose of increasing their performance? Is it not only these augmented Men who will survive global warming, epidemics, lack of resources on earth…?

However, the perspective of the improved Man must not make us forget the repaired Man. Even today, we are facing considerable problems to repair a heart, a larynx, a vertebral disc. The design of the artificial heart, for example, began more than 30 years ago, a pioneering adventure for which everything is not yet solved. Ditto for the artificial larynx, 20 years of passionate research and the story is not over. Techniques and technologies are advancing at their own pace, but pathologies and patients can not wait long for the arrival of life-saving solutions.

Item Special Note

Free domestic shipping.

All artworks are 16” x 20”, unframed and will be shipped with a printed copy of the scientist’s text.

For further information about the portfolio, please visit our Art on Science: 26 études website: http://AS26project.com