Prosthetic Technologies of Being | Jesse Wallace

The project I researched explores how we can use technology and wearables to extend the human ability to sense and interact with our surroundings.

What feature of the work could we specifically evolve into a technique for wearable kinetic sculpture or costume?

This work in particular can be built on in many ways. Firstly, these wearable textiles are meant to extend the reach of any of the human senses, meaning that one could be used to extend the reach of an arm, assist someone in lifting something, or even change how they perceive the world.

What details of the artist or concept are not immediately apparent and how do they inform the work?

The researcher who created this project is focused on wearable electronics for this very purpose – amplifying and changing human perception. The work has many applications in art, but the concepts behind this technology can also drive accessibility work. The work lies in the intersection of human-computer interaction and trans-humanism.

Are there closely related works?

The work may remind one of trans-humanism, which is a movement to create an “ideal” human through augmentation. There are many examples of these people using implants or prosthetics to allow them to do things that normal humans won’t be able to do. See sources and photos for examples.

There are also similar works from the same lab in which researchers use activated fabrics and headwear to provide a visual of mapped brain activity.