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The Immortal Imitates Biological Structures Using Hospital Equipment

By modifying an infant incubator, heart-lung machine, and more, artist Revital Cohen replicates organic processes.

For some reason hospital equipment maintains an air of creepiness about it—it’s probably to do with all the death and disease that is the occupational hazard of life in a health care institution. Which makes this installation from Revital Cohen all the more impacting.

The piece, called The Immortal, uses a modified heart-lung machine, dialysis machine, mechanical mentilator, infant incubator, and intraoperative cell salvage machine to form a closed circuit circulating artificial blood, electrical signals, and air in order to replicate a biological structure. The humming machinery gives the piece an added sense of “otherness” as this hybrid-machine churns away at its attempt as a rudimentary inorganic lifeform.

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From Cohen’s website:

The Immortal investigates human dependence on electronics, the desire to make machines replicate organisms and our perception of anatomy as reflected by biomedical engineering.

It will form part of the Superhuman exhibition exploring human enhancement at the Wellcome Collection in London on July 19 running through October 16, 2012.

[via Creative Applications]

@stewart23rd