BODIES III Curator Tour with Megan Euker

Students in Megan Euker’s Design, Sculpture, and Digital Fabrication classes at the Accademia di Belle Arti Siracusa/MADE (Mediterranean Arts and Design); University of South Florida; and School of the Art Institute of Chicago created works in response to a single word prompt: “Bodies.” Using the collections at the International Museum of Surgical Science for inspiration, students began identifying medical or bodily constraints that could be alleviated through a specifically designed assistive device. Through a process of in-depth research and prototype testing, students created preliminary designs intended to increase accessibility, promote healthy behaviors, create comfort and improve safety. After consulting with medical professionals and undergoing critiques, they modified their ideas and remade their objects at full scale.

These designed objects create a social impact by making it easier for all kinds of bodies to move through the world. They also spark new questions: what mental and physical constraints do our bodies place on us all? What are the best uses of designed objects in the fields of health, medicine, and surgery? And how do you design your own environment to fit your day-to-day needs? Works in this exhibition explore these fundamental ideas of ability and the body.

About the Curator:

Megan Euker is an Italian and American artist/designer and a two-time U.S. Fulbright recipient to Italy (Fellow, 2008-9 to Florence and scholar, 2022-23 to Sicily).

She comes from a background in art and design, obtaining MFA and BFA degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Euker is the Project Manager at San Rocco Therapeutics and has also taught at SAIC, USF in Tampa, Florida, the Siena Art Institute, Italy, and MADE in Sicily, among other universities. Additionally, Euker is the agent for Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Patrick Girondi and his band, Patrick Girondi & the Orphan’s Dream.

Euker has exhibited artwork internationally at galleries (represented by Linda Warren Projects since 2008) and museums, including a solo exhibition “The Cure” at The International Museum of Surgical Science” (IMSS) in Chicago. This exhibition showcased current issues in orphan diseases, especially Sickle Cell Disease and Beta Thalassemia. She has additionally curated three exhibitions of her students work at the (IMSS), featuring medical devices created under her mentorship.

Meet at the front desk for the tour.

Accessible accommodations include a ramp entrance and elevator. If you need additional accessibility options or wheelchair seating please contact us at info@imss.org.

Parking and Directions can be found here: https://imss.org/plan-your-visit/

About the Contemporary Art Program: The International Museum of Surgical Science supports a commitment to contemporary art and artists through exhibitions and programs that use the frame of contemporary artistic practice to examine new perspectives in medical-surgical science and our relationship to the body. The Museum’s Contemporary Arts Initiative includes rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, as well as an ongoing Artist in Residence program.

Image credit: Clare Britt