Printed by Parkinson's

To raise awareness of Parkinson's disease, human stories were turned into art. Kinetic and neurological data were transformed into distorted 3D-printed versions of objects. The art collection visualises the disease’s impact on patients' lives.

Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world with a patient being diagnosed every 9 minutes and there is no cure. Imagine your beloved object you use for work or to practice a hobby is no longer available to you. You're a writer but can't hold your pen any more, you're a photographer but your hands are shaking when you hold the camera.

The lack of awareness leads to stigma and isolation. To change this, it’s important that patients share their stories, more people are educated about the disease and help to progress research by institutions such as Charité Berlin.

Idea/Craft - Digital

The collection comprises distorted 3D prints of cherished objects belonging to Parkinson’s patients. The 3D-models are created using the patients’ kinetic and neurological data and objects are informed by each patient’s tremor data, skewing the object’s shape to capture the impact of Parkinson’s.

In addition to the collection, we designed a website to tell the patients’ stories and show their objects and how Parkinson’s has affected them.

Idea/Craft - Experience & Game

To raise awareness of Parkinson's and its implications, and to support Charité Berlin, Europe’s largest University Hospital, we took human stories and turned them into objects of art. To make the stories heard and the daily struggle of patients tangible, the patients’ kinetic and neurological data was used to create 3D-models. In turn, the individual art pieces were 3D-printed as if the printer itself was ‘infected’ by their symptoms.

The one of a kind collection of distorted art and documentaries features beloved objects they have difficulties in using — such as a pen, camera, kayak paddle or even a chainsaw. Each piece provides a unique perspective on what it means to live with this incurable disease. The complete Printed by Parkinson’s collection officially on, World Brain Day. There, all six 3D-printed art pieces were available on display.

Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world with a patient being diagnosed every 9 minutes and there is no cure. Imagine your beloved object you use for work or to practice a hobby is no longer available to you. You're a writer but can't hold your pen any more, you're a photographer but your hands are shaking when you hold the camera.

The lack of awareness leads to stigma and isolation. How do we create a way for the patients to share their stories and educate more people about the disease? How do we help to progress research by institutions such as Charité Berlin?

Jury Feedback

CRAFT - DIGITAL / NOMINATION

In all the manifestations, the jury felt that all the details were really taken care of in this case - not only the objects themselves but also in the exhibition and through the website design. In this project, the jury were unsure what the data was used for. If there were more insights into the digital process and the execution (not the objects themselves but everything else around them), it could have scored higher.

CRAFT - EXPERIENCE & GAME / BRONZE

Close and personal. Raises awareness successfully. Solid idea to connect the disease to technology. Unclear if the subject of the experience is the visitor of the exposition or the Parkinson's patient. The concept is striking and emotionally impactful. It educates the audience about the disease in a unique and visible way. The jury awarded this project with a Bronze Lamp and not higher because the overall experience for the wider audience was unclear as the technology is questionable; how does the data actually shape the glitched objects?