Stelarc

Stelarc (born Stelios Arcadiou on June 19 1946 in Limassol, Cyprus to Greek Cypriot parents) is an Australian performance artist whose works focus heavily on futurism and extending the capabilities of the human body. As such, most of his pieces are centered around his concept that "the human body is obsolete". Until 2007 he held the position of Principal Research Fellow in the Performance Arts Digital Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham, England. He is currently a visiting Professor in the School of Arts at Brunel University, West London. He has two daughters, one of whom (Astra Stelarc), has continued in his footsteps as an artist.

Performances

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 hand, 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. In 2007, he got a cell-cultivated ear implanted into his left arm. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7039821.stm]

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.

Works

In 2005, MIT Press published "Stelarc: The Monograph" which is the first extensive study of Stelarc's prolific work. It includes images of performances and interviews with several writers including William Gibson, who recount their meetings with Stelarc.

Awards and honors

* In 1995 Stelarc was awarded a three year fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts.
* In 1997 Carnegie Mellon University appointed him Honorary Professor of Art and Robotics.
* In 1998 he was artist-in-residence for the city of Hamburg, Germany.
* In 2000 Monash University awarded him an Honorary Degree of Laws.
* In March, 2003, at Ohio State University, he completed an artist-in-residence program.

ee also

* God helmet
* Kevin Warwick

External links

* [http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/ Stelarc's official homepage]
* [http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=71 Extended-Body: Interview with Stelarc]
* [http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=354 The Body Without Memory: An Interview with Stelarc]
* Documentation relating to Stelarc projects including [http://www.ahds.ac.uk/performingarts/collections/exoskeleton.htm Anatomical Exoskeleton] and [http://www.ahds.ac.uk/performingarts/collections/sci-art.htm SCI-ART: Bio-Robotic Choreography] . Hosted by [http://www.ahds.ac.uk/performingarts/index.htm AHDS Performing Arts]
* [http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio/navire/rencontres_stelarc.html Stelarc in conversation with] André Éric Létourneau - site of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]
* [http://artfilms.com.au/Detail.aspx?catalogueNo=1358 Stelarc - The Body is Obsolete DVD & CD-ROM]

Texts by Stelarc

* [http://neme.org/main/252/prosthetic-head Prosthetic Head: Intelligence, Awareness and Agency]
* [http://neme.org/main/251/suspended-bodies Suspended Bodies - Uncertain, Anxious and Obsolete]
* [http://neme.org/main/250/from-zombie-to-cyborg FROM ZOMBIE TO CYBORG BODIES - Extra Ear, Exoskeleton and Avatars]
* [http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=490 Prosthetic Head]