Blog presentation: Technologized bodies

"To what extent are we already experiencing a man -machine symbiosis that has turned us into cyborgs?" This is the question raised when more and more technology were added into our daily lives. One of the parts which were influenced may be the art. Nowadays there are many technology added into the artworks. Terms like ‘technologized body’ or ‘cyborg’ or ‘posthuman’ were created.

"In an era where technological innovations are appearing at an ever increasing pace the future of the human body is thrown into question. Art that makes its business keeping up with emerging technologies becomes an important arena to consider the outcomes of these advances.” [2] Years ago, art and technology were separated definitely. People in the past might not think that they can be combined to create a work. With the technologies proceed; it seemed everything can be done with technologies. Art seems not to be an exception.

Cyborg means cyber organisms. Katherine Hayles, the prominent theorists of the "technologized body", states in her book, How We Became Posthuman that “increasingly the question is not whether we will become posthuman, for posthumanity is already here. Rather, the question is what kind of posthumans we will be.” [3] Technologies had already invaded in our lives. To some extent, we are experiencing the fusion of body and machine. [4]

From a case study, we can see further about technologized body and see how we could benefit or be influenced.

[5]
Inter_Skin Project

Inter_Skin was created by Stahl Stenslie. He is a Norwegian born artist and he works with cognition and perception manipulative projects. [6] He started his work with cyber sex (for his work cyberSM in 1993) and he keen on exploring the human and technology relations. The Inter_Skin Project was his work created in 1994. It is a multi-user, tactile communication experiment. [7]

The Inter_Skin project is the interface for communication between the participants. It becomes an "interskin" to exchange and receive information. Participants of the project have to wear a sensoric outfit. That outfit is capable to transmit and receive different multi stimuli. The main emphasis of the communication in this project is ‘touch’. One participant touches his or her own body, the same touch will be transmitted to the partner and the partner will get the same feeling. The strength of the touch is designed by the duration of touch, i.e. the longer the touch, the stronger the stimuli will be felt. [8]

This work has created 2 interesting phenomenon. The first is autoerotic stimulation. If one touches the genitals, the partner will feel that. It is a direct form of communication. “The autoerotic, self-stimulating aspects of such a tactile system redirect communication to take place not only between two (or more) participants, but also to my very own body.” [8]

[9]

The first generation of Inter_Skin Project

The second is the shared virtual body. With the shared feelings of communication through autoerotic touch, an image of an abstract, virtual body is created.
[10]

Stenslie himself comments that the Inter_Skin Project towards the limits and possibilities of the virtual body.[11] For me, this is really an interesting work. One of the reasons for why I think it is interesting is because I seem to be an idiot for technology. It is too far for me on doing work using such high technology. Also, using technology in artwork is also complicated. The Inter_Skin project creates an interesting point of view, i.e. we can feel what the other feel. We usually have the feeling of ourselves but we never know what the other felt. By wearing this suit, we can feel the feelings of others. It is quite amazing. And I think this work can make people be more considerate through feeling what the other feel.

However, from the 2 interesting phenomenon mentioned before, it is not a good thing to some extent. The concept of autoerotic may not be accepted by all people. There may exist some problem of morality or be restricted by some religious background. The work may not be accepted by everyone if it makes people to have some nasty thinking, especially for some people with conservative thinking.

On the other hand, technology really helps us a lot in our daily lives. It can help us in different aspects and improve our living standards. But sometimes, it will create alienation between people. More technology may lead to less interaction. Or even less feeling…

The follows is the video of the exhibition of Stahl Stenslie, you can watch it if you are interested in his work, actually it is quite interesting and exciting.

Key quotes:
[1] Christiane Paul, Digital Art, p 166
[2] The Technologized Body, http://www.lacda.com/exhibits/technobody.html
[3] Christiane Paul, Digital Art, p 166
[4] Christiane Paul, Digital Art, p 167
[5] Image of Inter_Skin Project, Stahl Stenslie, 1992
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFfi0n0HSXEDZZ6oD9HtyBnGvJM1qwdJlNuvgNWWg74EfbJ3M4rhxJOaZAwFJK1qX5d_oAmfR5bUquJFESz2ifm_F83CeVhEML-AH57M6LiF746Uq3P0zvjTG8C7Nl9jEONWdUPKAdMYp/s1600-h/interskin.gif
[6] Stahl Stenslie on Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stahl_Stenslie
[7] CV of Stahl Stenslie, http://www.stenslie.net/stahl/
[8] Works presentation, http://www.stenslie.net/stahl/
[9] Image of the first generation Inter_Skin Project, http://art.tartu.ee/~raivo/meediakunst/slaidid/Telekomkunst_files/frame.htm#slide0033.htm [10] Image of Inter_Skin suit, http://www.art.tartu.ee/~raivo/meediakunst/slaidid/Telekomkunst_files/slide0032_image067.jpg[11] Stahl Stenslie, Wiring the Flesh; Towards the limits and possibilities of the virtual body, http://www.stenslie.net/stahl/txt/wirflesh.html

Key Links:
1. http://www.stenslie.net/stahl/ (website of Stahl Stenslie)
2. http://www.lacda.com/exhibits/exhibitshome.html (examples of technology and body)
3. http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/4/4017/2.html (Telepolis)
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE_uo_8CdBI (Stenslie’s exhibition)
5. http://desk.org:8080/ASU2/know.ElectronicArts (Intersections of Art, Technology, Science & Culture)

Key articles:
1. Christiane Paul, Digital Art,
2. http://www.lacda.com/exhibits/technobody.html (quite useful)
3. http://mlab.taik.fi/culturalusability/papers/Tikka_paper.html (comprehensive)
4. Stelarc, NeMe: FROM ZOMBIE TO CYBORG BODIES - Extra Ear, Exoskeleton and Avatars, November 2005 (article written by another performance artist Stelarc)
5. Rudolf Frieling, Reality / Mediality; Hybrid processes between art and life, http://mediaartnet.org/themes/overview_of_media_art/performance/print/ (time-spending but provoking)
6. Stahl Stenslie, Wiring the Flesh; Towards the limits and possibilities of the virtual body, http://www.stenslie.net/stahl/txt/wirflesh.html (detailed description of Stenslie's work)