Stelarc: Re-wired / Re-Mixed @ PICA 2016

'Event for the Dismembered Body'

"Re-Wired / Re-Mixed: Event for Dismembered Body" was a five-day, six-hour a day internet enabled performance, that explores the physiological and aesthetic experience of a fragmented, distributed, de-synchronized, distracted and involuntary body – wired and under surveillance. The artist wears a HUD (head up display) that enables him to see with the “eyes” of someone in London, whilst hearing with the “ears” of someone in New York. The body is also augmented by an 8 degrees-of-freedom exoskeleton so that anyone anywhere can generate involuntary movement of his right arm, using an online interface. The artist becomes optically and acoustically de-synchronized and performs partly involuntarily.

Project Management and Media Co-ordination by Steven Aaron Hughes. Performance by Stelarc. Featuring the work of Engineer Rodney Parsons and Coding specialist Steven Berrick.

For this debut performance of RWRM, Stelarc wore an exoskeleton robotic arm, and in collaboration with Luke Robert Mason from London and Lorin Roser from New York. These artists provided live audio and live video, respectively, streamed in real time into Stelarc's eyes and ears and live into the gallery for five days of performances, lasting six hours each.

Re-Wired / Re-Mixed : Event for Dismembered Body
Was a 4 day, 5 hours a day, internet enabled installation performed at the STRP Media Arts Biennale 2017 in Eindhoven.

With live sound and video streaming using 4G mobile phones, the artist sees with the ears of someone in Basel and sees with the eyes of someone in Antwerp. Whilst anyone, anywhere can access and choreograph the artist’s arm movements with a 7 degree-of-freedom exoskeleton.

The body’s sensory and motor capabilities are effectively disconnected and distributed, generating an experience of multiple agency. The body becomes simultaneously a possessed and performing body. 

Project Coordinator and Media Production – Steven Aaron Hughes
Engineering of Exoskeleton Arm – Rodney Parsons
Programming and Web Interface – Steve Berrick

Vision from London – Luke Robert Mason
Sound from New York – Lorin Roser