511 Building - Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design
Feb 15, 2018 - May 9, 2018
The Center for Contemporary Art & Culture at PNCA in partnership with Design Museum Portland proudly presents Bespoke Bodies: The Design & Craft of Prosthetics.
Advancements in medicine, robotics, and 3D-printing have transformed the intersection between the human body and technology. For the researchers and innovators around the world working to improve the field of prosthetics, design plays a critical role in humanizing new technology, allowing people to integrate devices into their lives — not only functionally, but aesthetically as well. Bespoke Bodies: The Design & Craft of Prosthetics is a major exhibition and education program from the Center for Contemporary Art & Culture and Design Museum Portland. From sculpting ocular prosthetics to crowdsourcing affordable 3D printed hands, this exhibition surveys the past, present, and future of prosthetic design on a global scale. Featuring case studies with real stories from professional athletes, veterans, kids learning to live with limb difference, and more, the exhibit considers the contemporary world of prosthetic design from both a functional and aesthetic perspective. Visitors explore evolution and design process behind a range of prostheses through visual stories, historical surveys, videos, and interactive models. Over 35 case studies — spanning DIY-inventions to the development of mind-controlled bionic limbs — tell the stories behind the patients, clinicians, designers, and artists changing how we think about the impact of design, and ultimately, the future of mobility.
Design Museum Mornings "Biodesign: Every Body in Motion"
December 8 • 8:00am
Join Nike Designer Wilson Smith for an inspiring talk about designing for all bodies.
Curator Tour and Opening Reception
February 15 • 5:00-9:00pm
Get the first look at Bespoke Bodies, complete with food, drink, and your fellow design enthusiasts!
First Thursday Open House
March 1 • 6:00-8:00pm
Join us every First Thursday for an open house, complete with refreshments and exhibition tours!
UNITE: Human Tech Connect Panel Discussion
March 8 • 6:00-8:00pm
A panel of experts discuss the importance of the human relationships in the field of prosthetics.
Viewing Party: Paralympics Opening Ceremonies
March 9 • 6:00-9:00pm
Join us to celebrate the opening of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games!
First Thursday Open House
April 5 • 6:00-8:00pm
Join us every First Thursday for an open house, complete with refreshments and exhibition tours!
Workshop: Hand Built Hands
April 7 • 10:00am-12:00pm
Bring the whole family to build 3D-printed prosthetic hands for those in need.
Design Week Open House
April 17 • 6:00-8:00pm
Celebrate Design Week with us! We’ll have an open house with refreshments and exhibit tours.
VIP Dinner with Dr. Albert Chi and Johnny Matheny
April 24 • 6:00-9:00pm
Join this one-of-a-kind dinner with prosthetics legend Dr. Chi and his patient Johnny, who sports the most technologically advanced prosthetic arm in the world.
First Thursday Open House
May 3 • 6:00-8:00pm
Join us every First Thursday for an open house, complete with refreshments and exhibition tours!
For more information about accompanying public programs, visit designmuseumfoundation.org/bespokebodies.
Bespoke Bodies was generously supported by the following foundations and partners:
