Stelarc

Stelarc is an Australian performance artist whose works focus heavily on futurism and extending the capabilities of the human body. Most of his pieces are centered around his concept that the human body is obsolete. Stelarc's idiosyncratic performances often involve robotics or other relatively modern technology integrated with his body somehow. In 25 different performances he has hung himself in flesh hook suspension, often with one of his robotic inventions integrated. In another performance he allowed his body to be controlled remotely by electronic muscle stimulators connected to the internet. He has also performed with a robotic third arm, and a pneumatic spider-like six-legged walking machine which sits the user in the center of the legs and allows them to control the machine through arm gestures.

His works have been heralded for their abilities to embrace a wider audience, the best example of this was his allowance for the worldwide audience to log into the exhibition and thus access or control the electrodes his own body was hooked up to. He explores and extends the concept of the body and it’s relationships with technology by blending human, mechanic, medical imagery, prosthetics, robotics and the internet. Stelarc even found a surgeon to graft a third ear onto his forearm. Although it doesn’t work, he hopes to have a microphone fitted to allow other people to listen to what his third ear picks up.

I personally am interested in his suspension work as I appreciate all forms of body modification. I like how he combines ancient rituals with futuristic designs of medical and technical advancements to improve the human form.

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