Phantom Tail investigates the concept of an extra limb—specifically, a phantom tail—as an extension of the human body. Inspired by the phenomenon of phantom limbs, the work explores how the brain maps the body and adapts to new or lost appendages. Phantom limb sensations occur when individuals continue to feel an amputated limb, often due to the brain’s persistent cortical representation of the missing body part. This suggests that our sense of body is not fixed but shaped by experience and adaptation.

Taking an evolutionary perspective, the work expands on the possibility of a phantom tail—an ancestral remnant embedded in our neurological history. For over 500 million years, our ancestors used tails for balance and movement, but around 25 million years ago, a genetic mutation led to their disappearance in humans. Given the brain’s capacity to retain sensory maps, could it still hold traces of this lost limb? The human embryo even briefly develops a tail-like structure, hinting at our deep biological connection to this forgotten appendage.

Beyond the physical, Phantom Tail also draws from Donna Haraway’s ideas in The Companion Species Manifesto, which challenges the human-centered worldview. Haraway argues that species should not be defined by separation but by relationships, advocating for a more responsible coexistence with non-human life. In this context, the phantom tail becomes more than a sensory extension—it symbolizes a call for reconnection with other species and the environment. The work explores the notion of the phantom tail as both a speculative prosthetic and a conceptual bridge between the human body, evolutionary memory, and the ecological relationships that shape our existence.