There is a fine line between limit and possibility. Where something ends, something else inevitably begins, but it takes a creative eye to see the opportunity beyond the limit. 

In Sophie de Oliveira Barata‘s universe, reality and possibility merge in an intermediate space, where her alternative prostheses come to life. Founder of the Alternative Limb Project, Sophie shows us what happens when art opens up to biotechnological innovation.

We talk about our body and its appearance, an intimate and fundamental theme in self-expression. This is why, in addition to a symmetrical and realistic reconstruction of the limb, the artist offers another, which celebrates individuality and tells the story of the person wearing it. 

From the creative requests of one of her little patients comes Sophia’s intuition. In her works she shows us new realities, where the different anatomy of the bodies becomes the starting point for pieces of art. 

Thanks to her experience in the artistic and medical fields, the artist works together with the client to truly understand his needs. She catches the personal taste and style to turn it, with a team of 3D modellers and electronics specialists, into a functional prosthesis with a unique design. 

Call them personalised bionic limbs would be reductive, Sophie’s works not only perfectly blend with the body that wears them, but also enhance its uniqueness and personality. The result is a new body harmony, as in Synchronized where the shape of the natural arm is deliberately highlighted.  

Each piece is the combination of the artist’s imagination, creatively interpreting the client’s personal life project. Always looking for a new approach, Sophie keeps us suspended on the border between real and possible, opening us to a fluid and dynamic idea of the body, to an evolution in constant becoming.