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GRAHAM, the unsettling humanoid figure created to emphasise humans’ vulnerability on the roads, has taken up residence at Bendigo Art Gallery this month.
Graham has features that might be present in humans if they were to evolve to better withstand the forces involved in a crash, including a large skull, flexible leg joints and in-built airbags in the chest.
These features draw attention to the many parts of the body a person can suffer severe and life-threatening injury if involved in a collision.
Graham was commissioned by the Transport Accident Commission and created by artist Patricia Piccinini with the assistance of road safety engineer Dr David Logan and trauma surgeon Dr Christian Kenfield.
TAC senior road safety manager Samantha Cockfield said people recognised they were vulnerable on the roads, but did not always realise to what extent.
“We wanted to talk to the Victorian community about vulnerability, about how easy we break, about how easily we get injured,” Ms Cockfield said.
Graham prompted discussion and reflection on what happened to the body in a collision, she said, and how society could try to prevent it.
She said Graham also presented an opportunity to talk about the fact that people in regional and rural areas were four times more likely to be killed on the roads than those in Melbourne.
“Our bodies were not built to cope with the forces involved in a crash,” Ms Cockfield said.
“Graham shows us why we need to improve every aspect of our roads system, to protect ourselves from our own mistakes.
“We will never look like Graham, but we can protect ourselves on the roads by being safer drivers and driving safer cars at safer speeds on safer roads.”
Bendigo Art Gallery curatorial manager Tansy Curtin said Graham represented a meeting of art and science, and challenged the community to think about the way people lived.
She said Graham also provided a good opportunity to engage young people in conversations around road safety, and several schools from the area were already booked in to pay him a visit.
Dr Logan, who advised Ms Piccinini on what happened to the body in a collision involving a vehicle, said Graham was a “fantastic opportunity” to demonstrate a lot of the complex scientific and engineering principles involved in vehicle collisions to the wider public.
He said Graham’s most important physiological feature was his skull and brain, as head and brain injuries were often the most life-threatening and life-changing injuries experienced by people involved in a crash.
Graham has a thick, double-layered skull to absorb more energy and his brain is surrounded by more fluid and ligaments, protecting it from smashing against the skull in an impact.
Visitors to the exhibition are able to use tablets to explore more of Graham’s unique physical features.
Graham can be seen at Bendigo Art Gallery until October 30.