Opening Reception: BODIES III

Students in Megan Euker’s Design, Sculpture, and Digital Fabrication classes at the Accademia di Belle Arti Siracusa/MADE (Mediterranean Arts and Design); University of South Florida; and School of the Art Institute of Chicago created works in response to a single word prompt: “Bodies.” Using the collections at the International Museum of Surgical Science for inspiration, students began identifying medical or bodily constraints that could be alleviated through a specifically designed assistive device. Through a process of in-depth research and prototype testing, students created preliminary designs intended to increase accessibility, promote healthy behaviors, create comfort and improve safety. After consulting with medical professionals and undergoing critiques, they modified their ideas and remade their objects at full scale. These designed objects create a social impact by making it easier for all kinds of bodies to move through the world. They also spark new questions: what mental and physical constraints do our bodies place on us all? What are the best uses of designed objects in the fields of health, medicine, and surgery? And how do you design your own environment to fit your day-to-day needs? Works in this exhibition explore these fundamental ideas of ability and the body.