The Evolution of the First Bionic Pop Artist

We Hosted an incredible photoshoot for Viktoria Modesta

Now a famed musical artist, innovation enthusiast and bionic woman Viktoria Modesta’s journey to the spotlight has been anything but ordinary. Following medical complications at birth, Modesta spent much of her childhood receiving treatment for a damaged left leg. Despite 15 surgeries over the first 12 years of her life, her physical difference continued to be a struggle.

Following surgery, Modesta was finally ready to deploy her new identity that featured a multitude of passions. Creating a performance concept with bold sound, imagery and inevitably prosthetics, Modesta created a new element of expression that evolved from an aesthetically stunning Diamond Leg and extreme Black Spike to technologically advanced pieces working with sensors and neurally-controlled devices.

Today, Modesta is a fellow of the MIT Media Lab and an award winning artist. She continues to merge art, technology and popular culture in the promotional photoshoot for her upcoming EP “Counterflow,” where she sports a variety of high-fashion wearable instruments.

The shoot was a collaboration of several artists and makers under the creative direction of Viktoria Modesta and Joanna Hir. Styled by Joanna Hir, and photographed by Nhu Xuan Hua, the images show three transhumanism designs.

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Photograph “Smokification” by Anouk Wipprecht. Accelerometer-based leg equipped with an Arduino 101 and embedded Intel Curie that intuitively steers Viktoria’s movements while she interfaces with the world around her using a facade of smoke. Anouk is working with Viktoria on using her prosthetic leg as a gesture-based digital musical instrument, in collaboration with Alex Murray-Leslie from Chicks on Speed.