At Budmen Industries, our journey often begins with a bold question that challenges the boundaries of perception. When Neil Harbisson, the world’s first government-recognized cyborg, came to us asking, “How do you share a sense?”, it sparked an exploration into the fusion of art, technology, and human experience.

Born completely colorblind, Neil transformed his world by developing a cybernetic antenna surgically implanted in his skull.

This antenna allows him to perceive colors as audible vibrations, enabling him to “hear” the spectrum of colors, including ultraviolet and infrared frequencies that are invisible to the human eye.

To answer Neil’s question, we set out to create a sculpture that doesn’t just represent him but also embodies his unique sensory experience.

Bringing the Sculpture to Life: We meticulously 3D printed the sculpture in parts, carefully assembling them to preserve every detail. Applying an aged bronze finish through a time-intensive, in-house process, we gave the piece the look and feel of authentic bronze, adding depth and texture.

The result is a life-size, interactive sculpture that shares Neil’s ability to hear color. When you approach the sculpture in museums and hold a colored object or fabric near its antenna, you can experience the sounds of color just as Neil does.

It’s more than a sculpture, it’s a portal into a new way of perceiving the world.