You support remodulation and rebuilding of body by
technology and replacement of body with machine. Do you think that is
still possible, or shall we resign to the concept of adaptation to
surroundings and body weakness?
Rebuilding and
replacement of the body might occur. But more likely there’ll
be a proliferation of hybrid constructs of bodies (including insects
and animals), machines and virtual systems in diverse bodily
architectures. The mythical chimera was a human-animal construct.
Alternate bodily architectures of sensory, cerebral and operational
capabilities now become possible. It’s not that new or
alternate systems will totally replace and erase the old. Rather they
will be incorporated, remodulated.
In the 1994 you affirmed that cyber body is a system
that exalts practicality and cleverness. From 1981 to 1994 you worked
at Amplified Body, Laser Eyes
and Third Hand, fractal body seemed to be upcoming:
what’s the situation now?
Well, the
obsolete body, augmented and invaded is now performing involuntarily.
It seems now that the body best performs as its image, as its avatar.
Bodies and machines are ponderous needing to perform in gravity with
friction. Images are ephemeral, avatars have no organs.
You affirmed that “the fundamental freedom
is for individuals to determine their own DNA destiny”,
technological body invasion leads to the end of evolution and mankind
split-up, every man will evolve by himself: this post-evolutionary
loneliness could lead to mankind’s end? Which role do human
relationships have in post-human concept?
Individuals
should determine their own DNA destiny. And biological evolution is
overtaken by human design and engineering. What it means to be human
involves interacting with others. There will be no Post-human
loneliness. Quite the contrary. Not only will you be able to interact
with others in proximity but also connect up to people
remotely. Perhaps what becomes meaningful now is not the
biological other but the phantom other. A phantom generated by remote
presences, electronically connected over the internet.
In the 70’s you presented your initial
performances. Which were your expectations and how did audience respond
to? Nowadays do your performances still have the same impact on the
audience or did it change in time?
Well,
the Suspension performances of the 70’s
and 80’s were mostly done in private gallery spaces or remote
locations. There was no invited audience. The people who saw the
performances were the few other artists assisting. There were times
that people unexpectedly saw the suspensions. For example there were a
group of fishermen on another outcrop of rocks who saw the body being
suspended about 300 metres from shore- as did some fishing boats that
went past. The 2 important exceptions were the NY event, between 2
buildings over E 11th Street (4 stories up).
Most of the people below did not know it was an art performance,
although others had been invited. The other public performance was the
City Suspension in Copenhagen. That was well-publicized and thousands
were in the vicinity of the to see the body hoisted up almost
60 metres above the Royal Theatre. Some people have reacted with
curiosity, with concern but sometimes with aggression. Responses have
varied immensely…
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