Stefan Boerkamp

As Humans, we have evolved and are now slowly outgrowing our physical shells and mental capacities. We have satisfied the basic needs of being Human, and are now looking for more… With ‘Metacarpus’, Stefan Boerkamp offers a glimpse into speculative visions of futures concerning the hands. Envisioning timelines of human development surpassing the functional perception of the hand being limited to gripping and grasping. The project presents jewellery, or, tools which are worn on an individual’s hand. A series of three objects pointing towards an evolution through Digitalisation (‘Distal’), resource scarcity and re-enabling of primal instincts (‘Palmar’), and the rise of new ways of communication through parapsychological abilities and vibration (‘Hamate’).⠀ ⠀ DISTAL circa 3021 Innovation is at its highest peak and becoming ultra-productive is the goal of our society. The idea of consuming data and producing tasks faster and more efficiently became an obsession. Humans became enslaved by machines and their thirst for over-achievement. We witnessed a shift in technology as well as in their aesthetic forms. The desire to become one with the machine increased more and more. ‘DISTAL’ is a tool that helps humans connect more efficiently to technology and realize their dream of ultra-productivity. ‘DISTAL’ is an articulated silver extension for the hand allowing it to operate more precisely and perform at a higher speed. Humans can now transform into machines. PALMAR circa 5543 The Earth's resources have now been fully exploited which resulted in extreme climate changes: Violent storms, drastic temperatures, water scarcity... Conditions became unfit for Humans, They were forced to seek shelter on the outskirts of the Earth. The refuge is found in the high skies and the depth of Earth’s ground. Humans started to build in The stratosphere provided clean air, developing a world above 10.000 meters. Others started to dig in the layers of the Earth, In search of soil charged with nutrients, to fuel their body and infrastructures. With the world going back to a wilder stage, Humans had to bring back their primal instinct to survive. ‘PALMAR’ is an organic extension that triggers our primal instinct and transforms the Hands into powerful paws; which allow Humans to walk, run and hunt on four legs again. Awakening our primitive forces. HAMATE circa 8002 99,2% of all jobs and daily routine tasks have been automated, nothing is done by hand anymore, and machines operate every detail of our lives. By abandoning the manual function of our hands The hands became one of the most precious and sacred parts of our Human body. It now is the symbol of the Human revolution; turning from creatures of labor into beings of thought. The hands became the heart of all our senses ‘HAMATE’ is a series of permanent implants that allow the brain to feel through the hands, low and high frequencies that were previously unreachable for Humans. Echolocation, Universal telepathy, and Communication through vibration became new skills that can be shared simultaneously between all Human beings.