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)

Discussion of four important games - should we consider these as works of art?

•Feng Mengbo: Quake 4 U, 2002
•Cory Arcangel: Super-Mario Clouds, 2002
•Mary Flanagan: [domestic] 2003
•JODI: Untitled Games, SOD

Among these four games, I would like to choose Mary Flanagan: [domestic] 2003.

[picture from:http://www.maryflanagan.com/imagesvideos/]

I think the work of May Flanagan can be an art. In the videogame, the images are beautiful. For me, I quite agree with one of the definition of art from Wrnest W. Adams which is aesthetically interesting. I can find this element in [domestic]. Also, I think this work has contained some messsage and have the communication with the player.

Digital Games

VS

Should games be more like fantasy and less like real-world war?

In my opinion, games should be more fantasy and less like real-world war. For me, playing games is for fun and relaxation. When I feel under pressure, I will play games to relax. If the games are filled with elements of real-world war, I think it will add more presure to me. On the other hand, if the games are filled with fantasy elements like colorful design, wonderful music, it can really release my pressure.

Also, I think real-world war is too realistic. If people like those games, they will fall into the world of the games, they will become aggressive and violet. However, fantasy game is unrealistic, the world of the games is so perfect that people already knew that it is unreal. They can find fun and relax in the game.

Futhermore, I think to some extent that I support more fancy rather than real-world war is because those game can recall my memory of childhood.

My favourite digital game is Cooking Mama. I think most of you will know this game and know how to play it. Why I know this game is not because of its realness but just the opposite. I really do not know how to cook but in this game I can pretend to a good cooker. I can earn many achievability through this game.

Technologised Bodies

Film: I'm a cyborb, but that's OK

"To what extent are we already experienceing a man-machaine symbiosis that has turned us into cyborgs [or posthuman bodies]?" Christine Paul (Digital Art, p.166)

To a certain extent, we have already experiencing a man-manchine symbiosis. We can see nowadays we always depend on many technologies. Glasses may be a good example. It is an object independent with our human bodies. But after using the glasses, we can have a clear eye sight when our eyes have some problems like short-sighted or long-sighted. Also, the technologies used on medical is also helpful. When people lose their arms or legs after an accident, there are some technologies to help them to repair their arms or legs. This technologies have already added to our lives and eventually turned us into cyborgs.

Whar are some pros and cons of becoming a cyborg?

Pros:

• we can have longer lifespan
• our live standard will be better
• many problem can be solved easily
• our working efficiency will be improved
• we will not get hurt easily

Cons:

• less interaction between human
• less feelings
• less expereience of solving problem
• less expressions
• less emotion

What do you think of Stelarc's work?

Stelarc's work (from Stelarc's website, http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/)

"Stelarc is an Australian performance artist whose works focus heavily on futurism and extending the capabilities of the human body." (from Wikipedia, on Stelarc, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelarc)

Actually, I think it is quite disgusting when I saw some shots that showed he has done some action upon some organs like stomach. It is hard to accept those action and I can not imagine how he can do such work on his own body. When I see his work, I may think that he is challenging the limit of the human body. As the reference above said, he is focusing his work on futurism, he may tend to have different challenge towards the human body. Although his work is quite outstanding and can have many attention, it cannot be accepted by everyone.

How many online identities do you have?

I have 4 email accounts including yahoo, hotmail, gmail and one come Lingnan University(LU). And I have asked 3 classmates about their online identities.

Carol:

• 7 email accounts (yahoo, hotmail, gmail, LU, PolyU, hellokitty, my melody)
• 1 facebook account
• 1 xanga account
• 1 yahoo blog

Anna:

• 4 email accounts (yahoo, hotmail, gmail, LU)
• 1 xanga account
• 1 facebook account

Ching:

• more than 10 email accounts (abount 5 yahoo accounts, hotmail, gmail, etc.)
• 1 xanga account
• 1 facebook account
• 1 my space account
• 1 yahoo blog
• 1 nevigator blog

Ching has so many online identities.

Unusal Stop Motion

Share a funny video with you:)

The favourite networked digital art of today's lesson

Jonah Brucker-Cohen and Katherine Moriwaki

Umbrella-net

What are some challenges digital art presents to the art world (ie galleries, exhibition goers, art critics and scholars)?

• digital art is difficult to be classified in the form of art and the range of art is very wide
• it will change in a very fast speed, it may hard to follow
• difficult to set up the exhibition, because many software and equipments will be needed
• the cost of setting up the exhibition is also high
• some digital art may not need gallery but on the other hand it will be less known by others
• the work may need more time to understand, it require more complicated understanding, it takes time
• digital art need the technical skills like computer skills or other skills of using specific software assist with the practical art skills
• the circulation of digital art may limited to only those who can access on the internet
• digital art may not be suitable for all ages group, teenagers may be the focused group for appreciating digital art
• it is easy to have the problem of copyright as it is too easy to find resources online and materials will be easy to be converted into another thing

"Mission to Earth"

It's the first time to watch digital cinema. The first impression of the film must be so special that there are not just one scene at the same time. The composition is different from the traditional cinema. I think this film, "Mission to Earth", has a different way of story telling when compared with thr traditional cinema. Besides the main scene which is showing the journey of the girl, there are also some small boxes associated with the main scene. Those small boxes are some paintings, designs, or just some colours...etc. This presentation is new for me. Sometimes, I can't concentrate on only just one scene. I can't follow the main story when I just put my focus on the small scene.

In my won opinion, I may think that the voice over is the main focus of the film and those scenes showed on the screen assist to tell the story. The voice over throughout the whole film is with the same tone. But I think he is just telling me something but not a story because it seems that he didn't put his own feeling in it. But with the association with the scenes, it help me to think more about what he is talking about. Although those scenes may not be exactly the samen with which he is talking, it help me to have more focus on the film. Otherwise, I will not continue to watch it. Furthermore, some small scenes are quite interesting, but some of them are difficult to understand. Sometimes, I will feel confuse because I will focus on one scene and try to think about what it is going to present.

For the music of the film, honestly, it is boring. But it quite match with the film or specifically match with the narrator. It creates a calm atmosphere. However, it will make people fell asleep easily.

After watching this digital film, I will still choose to watch traditional cinema because it is more interesting for me. I would like to search for other digital films to see whether I will still choose to watch traditional cinema.