Groundbreaking Exhibit Explores Intersection of Art, Technology, and the Body

The Museum of the Moving Image's 'Overexposed' showcases how medical imaging has been used by artists to reveal new perspectives on the human form.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 9:55pm

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A new exhibit at New York's Museum of the Moving Image, titled 'Overexposed: Art, Technology, and the Body,' examines how artists have used and responded to various medical imaging technologies like X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds to explore themes of power, vulnerability, and the human form. Curated by Sonia Shechet Epstein, the exhibit features a diverse array of works, from experimental films by pioneering queer filmmaker Barbara Hammer to interactive installations that challenge the 'medical gaze' on the body.

Why it matters

The exhibit sheds light on how the tools designed to provide an 'objective' view of the body are often flawed and shaped by power dynamics, particularly the male gaze. As AI and other advanced technologies continue to permeate our lives, the exhibit feels increasingly relevant in exploring the complex relationship between technology, the body, and artistic expression.

The details

The exhibit covers a wide range of artistic mediums, from archival footage and scientific imaging to experimental films, interactive installations, and more. Highlights include Barbara Hammer's 1990 film 'Sanctus,' which repurposes medical X-rays, and Agnes Questionmark's three-channel video 'Opera Medica,' which features the artist performing gender-affirming surgery on a part-human, part-sea creature. The exhibit also explores how medical imaging has been used and appropriated, such as the use of Lennart Nilsson's 1965 fetal videos by the anti-abortion movement.

  • The exhibit 'Overexposed: Art, Technology, and the Body' is now on view at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York.
  • The exhibit will run until January 3, 2027.

The players

Sonia Shechet Epstein

The curator of the 'Overexposed' exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image.

Barbara Hammer

A pioneering queer filmmaker whose 1990 experimental film 'Sanctus' is featured in the exhibit.

Agnes Questionmark

An artist whose three-channel video installation 'Opera Medica' is included in the 'Overexposed' exhibit.

Sylvia Plath

The poet whose work inspired the title of the 'Overexposed' exhibit.

Wilhelm Röntgen

The German physicist who discovered X-ray radiation, an important milestone documented in the exhibit.

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What they’re saying

“I was struck by how these weren't images of sick people, but of people doing everyday activities like putting on lipstick or drinking water. The film is critical of the fact that these are bodies being exposed to harmful levels of radiation, but it's also bathing you in beauty, and that dichotomy struck me.”

— Sonia Shechet Epstein, Curator, 'Overexposed' exhibit

“Every picture tells a story, every medical image tells one too, and not just of a diagnosis, but one of power and faith and vulnerability. These tools that are meant to literally see right through us are exposing even more than we think they are.”

— Sonia Shechet Epstein, Curator, 'Overexposed' exhibit

What’s next

The 'Overexposed' exhibit will continue to run at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York until January 3, 2027, providing visitors with the opportunity to explore the complex relationship between art, technology, and the human body.

The takeaway

The 'Overexposed' exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image challenges the notion of medical imaging as an 'objective' lens, revealing how these technologies are often shaped by power dynamics and the male gaze. By showcasing a diverse range of artistic responses, the exhibit encourages visitors to critically examine the ways in which technology can both reveal and conceal the complexities of the human form.