Stelarc - The Body is Obsolete - Contemporary Arts Media

Here is a primer on Stelarc, narrated by the artist himself. His philosophical position is that the body is not a seat for the soul, but rather one input-output device in a universe of other input-output devices of equal value. So, his body suspensions, while they may have the look of new primative piercing actions, have none of the spiritual resonance (nor even fashion concerns) typically associated with piercing and suspensions. His most recent act has been to have a third ear installed beneath the skin of his arm. By deforming his body for the sake of art, Stelarc demonstrates the harsh reality that post-evolution requires: an abandonment of the natural as sacrosanct, a relinquishment of the body as a temple for the soul. For thos who still feel the body is the seat of indentity, Stelarc's work will be confrontational.