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Human Mutation Project: Nick Ervinck's 3D printed cyborg sculptures of the future

By combining "fragmentary elements from the past with anatomical parts and futuristic imagery", a series of fascinating cyborg-sculptures came into being. Nick Ervinck incorporates past, present and future in these incredible sculptures and prints. At the same time, these works can be placed in an ancient sculptural tradition because of the similarities with the classical portrait bust. With their majestic pose and piercing gaze, they tower over the viewer as if they were heroic god statues from the future.

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Gallery display of Nick Ervinck's cyborg sculptures with yellow and black 3D printed heads featuring metallic thorns inside illuminated glass cases

Fostering a cross-pollination between the digital and the physical, Nick explores the boundaries between various media, applying tools and techniques in order to explore the aesthetic potential of sculpture, 3D prints installation, architecture and design.

The sculptures entail similar dialogues between the futuristic, glossy armour and the metal parts, as if the mutated skin of the cyborg is perforated by various metal thorns. This refers to the evolution that our own skin has gone through.

Nick explains: "While the first people on Earth still had fur coats, we now wear clothes to protect us and keep us warm. The technology of the future may allow us to develop a multifunctional skin, that provides extra strength and more protection from harsh weather conditions. This series of works reflects on the growing integration of technology in our society – and in our bodies.

"This evolution offers endless possibilities and solutions for the future. Revolutionary technologies and artificial intelligence could potentially solve important problems in our society, such as climate change, poverty or even mortality. At the same time, this search for a modified 'super human' cannot remain without consequences."

Marble and gold cyborg bust by Nick Ervinck featuring protruding metallic elements and geometric patterns, mounted on a gold pedestal against a dark background
Orange and white 3D printed cyborg bust with metallic mechanical parts and upright protrusions, mounted on a classical stone plinth against a dark starry background
Yellow and white cyborg head sculpture by Nick Ervinck featuring mechanical parts and futuristic armour layered over a classical bust, set against a starry blue backdrop
Nick Ervinck paints details onto a bright yellow 3D printed cyborg head sculpture in his studio
Nick Ervinck's 3D printed cyborg head sculpture with yellow and pink features and black metal spikes, displayed in a gallery vitrine
Vibrant yellow, orange and pink sculptural head with protruding black mechanical and organic forms, mounted on a black stem against a neutral background
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