Sculptures Made from Human Ash

By John Farrier in Art on Jun 14, 2010 at 6:20 am

The Dutcher designer Wieke Somers used 3D printers to turn ashen human remains into sculptures:

her project ‘consumer or conserve’ evaluates this notion of a second-life. she considers, how human ashes can be reused by means of rapid prototyping or 3D printing, so that we may afford someone a ‘second life’ as a rocking chair, vacuum cleaner, perhaps even a toaster? would we become more attached to these objects if this was the case?

Pictured above is “Dung Beetle with Vacuum Cleaner” made from John Steegman (1939 – 1985). This and other works are on display at the Grand-Hornu Images gallery in Belgium until September 12.

Link via Nerdcore | Designer’s Website | Photo: Design Boom


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  1. Gauldar
    Jun 14th, 2010 at 8:18 am

    I wonder if it was written in the will of the person to ask that their remains be made into a sculpture of a beetle, pushing a turd ball up a dust buster.

  2. Lauire
    Jun 14th, 2010 at 1:44 pm

    now I have heard it all!

  3. Tim Giachetti
    Jun 14th, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    Cool article.
    but tasteless in every way.

    LOL

  4. Randomkaren
    Jun 14th, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    Darn someone stole my idea! I was gonna have my ashes made into a sculpture for my tombstone – I think thats pretty cool and useful :)

  5. ted
    Jun 14th, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Morbid.
    I wonder if it’s even legal, considering it’s an indigity to a human body.

  6. Gauldar
    Jun 14th, 2010 at 4:14 pm

    Is it still a human body if it’s ashes?

  7. Funkycpaman
    Jun 14th, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    Gives new meaning to the old show titled “My Mother the Car”.

  8. Neil C
    Jun 14th, 2010 at 6:16 pm

    Charles Krafft has been casting porcelain from human bone ash for ages- I accidentally knocked over over a bucket of cremains the other day when I went to feed his cat. Want your dad turned into a porcelain GLOCK pistol bearing elegant delt scenery? Google SPONE.

  9. cola
    Jun 14th, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    Yeah uh… I’m sure there are all kinds of rational things one could say about this, but I’m just going to fall on the side of “ew,” personally.

  10. SenorMysterioso
    Jun 15th, 2010 at 10:11 am

    It’s similar in a way to the Body Worlds exhibit. I saw a billboard advertising it that has plasticized adult and a child corpses sans skin dressed up in hockey gear.

  11. AnnieB
    Jul 27th, 2010 at 2:56 am

    Take a look at my website to see some more tasteful memorials using human (or animal) ash. Randomkaren, there may be something on there for you!

  12. AnnieB
    Jul 27th, 2010 at 3:03 am

    try googling heavenly bodies memorials.

  13. crvichell
    Oct 9th, 2010 at 6:08 am

    ?????????


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