Mother nature can be great but I prefer to take control of my appearance
December 15, 2014 7:57 PM   Subscribe

If you saw her catwalking like no one was watching, you'd see she was a model. But if you've seen the Channel 4 advert/short, you have seen Viktoria Modesta as a Prototype.

Viktoria Modesta is an unsigned artist who played a focal role in the Paralympic Games closing ceremony in London in 2012 (full ceremonies, skip 23 minutes in for her part).

Channel 4 promotes Viktoria as the "world's first bionic pop star," and provide a "making of" video for "Prototype." Some of her artificial legs are from the Alternative Limb Project (previously). The short version of the video aired during the X Factor finale, a spot which costed as much as a show, preferring to "build on the legacy of the Paralympics" and promote an alternative voice.

In an interview with Able2UK, Modesta said
'I think people have always found it hard to know what to think or feel about an amputee who wasn't trying to be an Olympian.

'In sports, ‘overcoming' a disability makes you a hero, but in pop there is no place for these feelings.

I have never felt comfortable thinking of myself as disabled and this has inspired me to actively challenge old-fashioned views and create a platform in mainstream pop-culture, with other artists, where I have always known I belonged.'
You can find more from Viktoria Modesta on her website.
posted by filthy light thief (21 comments total) 25 users marked this as a favorite
 
Wow. Nice setup. After watching the first 30 seconds of catwalking I got bored. Glad I read the Wikipedia link and then watched Prototype. Great stuff.
posted by alms at 8:45 PM on December 15, 2014


That's impressive, I watched the video before reading the more inside and just assumed it was CGI.
posted by furtive at 8:51 PM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


"The promo presents Viktoria, every inch a new contemporary artist … but with a difference that sets her apart from the idealized form of a pop artist. A prosthetic limb."

It's amazing how far you can come while still presenting a person as a product.
posted by angerbot at 8:51 PM on December 15, 2014 [11 favorites]


Amazing stuff.
posted by carter at 9:32 PM on December 15, 2014


Everyone I've shown this to loves it. It's one of the better things I've seen in a while. Especially the end bit where she's suspended on cables.

Taking bets now on how quickly she'll be touring with die antwoord. Seriously, it's gonna happen.
posted by emptythought at 9:54 PM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


She's a fan of Die Antwoord, among other bands. It could happen.

It's amazing how far you can come while still presenting a person as a product.

Yeah, Channel 4's PR stuff isn't the greatest write-up, but it's their official long-form message on the piece and Viktoria as an artist, which is interesting to compare to her own view of herself in other interviews.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:21 PM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]


We've officially reached the era of cyberpunk where prosthetics are stylized and cool. It's about fucking time; the world needs more pop stars with a needle sharp spike where their leg used to be, there is something cenobite and slightly twisted about it.

I like it.

I also have to admit, while not being much of a pop fan, that Prototype had a lot of catchiness to it.
posted by quin at 10:41 PM on December 15, 2014 [4 favorites]


She made me think of Aimee Mullins.
posted by louche mustachio at 11:01 PM on December 15, 2014 [3 favorites]


Wow. In a good way.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 11:23 PM on December 15, 2014


I found the catwalk video a bit embarrassing and awkward, but the Prototype video was insanely good. The dance/performance with the spike towards the end was amazing!
posted by greenhornet at 1:58 AM on December 16, 2014 [1 favorite]


She made me think of Aimee Mullins

She actually reminded me just a bit of Rachael from Bladerunner. There's a Roy Batty in there as well, in the bed scene.
posted by carter at 4:23 AM on December 16, 2014 [4 favorites]


This is cool. Thanks!
posted by anotherpanacea at 5:40 AM on December 16, 2014


The Prototype video was good, and the making-of video was really interesting. She sounds smart and interesting, and I like how in control she appears to be of the visual and artistic aspects.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:35 AM on December 16, 2014


I was really struck by how "Silent Hill" the last scene felt, with the spike-leg, cable suspension, and "sexy" footwork. i found it to be a very confusing juxtaposition, though likely one that will speak to a few people.
posted by Poppa Bear at 6:39 AM on December 16, 2014 [1 favorite]


alms: After watching the first 30 seconds of catwalking I got bored.

I included that because it was a decent video of her as a rather standard fashion model, with no indication in that she has a prosthetic leg, to juxtapose against her performance in "Prototype."
posted by filthy light thief at 6:56 AM on December 16, 2014 [5 favorites]


Makes me think of the model for Desigual with vitiligo, Chantelle Brown-Young. Boy did I do a double take when I first saw posters with her on it, but once you get over the initial not-your-normal-model thing, she is so amazing looking.
posted by fungible at 8:11 AM on December 16, 2014 [3 favorites]


I've never seen her...wow! Thanks.
posted by harrietthespy at 8:18 AM on December 16, 2014


I thought about posting a SLYT to her music video yesterday and am glad that I put it off because this is a much better post.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:13 AM on December 16, 2014


Just so we get this out of the way.
posted by gottabefunky at 9:19 AM on December 16, 2014


I'm not really into her music. She's probably talented, but it's not my thing not really something I could listen to on it's own, but I really love the video! I think it really props up the music. Who directed that?

The guy getting tatooed acts it out really well too.
posted by rancher at 11:23 AM on December 16, 2014 [1 favorite]


Who directed that?

The making-of video has several interview segments with the director about the choices involved and why they did things the way they did.
posted by Dip Flash at 12:27 PM on December 16, 2014 [1 favorite]


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