Stelarc

Stelarc is an Australian artist who has used prosthetics, robotics, VR systems, the Internet and biotechnology to explore alternate, intimate and involuntary interfaces with the body. He is interested in the evolutionary architecture of the body and possible ways of redesigning the human augmented by implants and exoskeletons. His earlier work includes making 3 films of the inside of his body, amplifying body signals (such as brainwaves, muscles, bloodflow, heartbeat) and 25 body suspensions with hooks into the skin. Some of his projects include the THIRD HAND, VIRTUAL ARM, STOMACH SCULPTURE, EXOSKELTON, EXTENDED ARM, PROSTHETIC HEAD, MUSCLE MACHINE, PARTIAL HEAD and WALKING HEAD. He is surgically constructing and stem cell growing an EXTRA EAR on his arm that will be internet enabled, making it a publicly accessible acoustical organ for people in other places. In 2010 he was awarded the Hybrid Arts prize at Ars Electronica and has also a Special Projects Grant by the Australia Council.

Stelarc (AUS), Ear On Arm, 2007/2010 (Courtesy of the artist)

This australian artist is interested in the evolutionary architecture of the body and possible ways of redesigning the human augmented by implants and exoskeletons. His previous works include suspending himself with a series of hook in his own skin, and he has performed with a third hand, with a virtual arm and with a virtual body. His works Ping body and Parasite probe notions of engineering external, extended and virtual nervous systems for the body using the internet. recently he had a third, soon-to-be-functional ear implanted, grown from stem cells.