Monica Baptista Sampaio Tavares

The creation of transformational prostheses as a way to strengthen reception self-esteem

The objective of this research is to investigate digitally modeled and 3D printed artifacts from the examination of the reception procedures established in the dialectic with their creation in order to apprehend how the “material” and “procedure” adopted can condition processes of customization. The artifacts accepted as objects of study are the “transformational prostheses”, more specifically the category of “prostheses as body sculptures” (Tavares, 2021). Transformational prostheses keep reference to the notion of “transformational object” by Bollas (2015) and to the concept of objectile, by Deleuze (1991). In addition to meeting a utilitarian demand, transformational prostheses such as body sculptures manifest themselves as three-dimensional artistic pieces attached to the body, capable of being aesthetically customized by the receptor and acting as a way to physical and psychic transformations, in order to strengthen his/her self-confidence.