Like Hand and "Cyber-Glove"

On December 9, 2004, the University of Michigan and the Life Sciences Institute partnered to host Australian-based performance artist, Stelarc, whose human/machine interfaces, robotic performances and prosthetic sculptures have been mesmerizing audiences internationally for over 30 years. Supported in part by the Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitors Program, Stelarc's presentation at the Palmer Commons drew over 400 viewers from the university and outside communities.

Stelarc utilizes his own body and technology to explore notions of cyborg identity, and to provoke alternate, intimate, and involuntary experiences. His repertoire of works includes: a live tissue culture project that challenges cultural perceptions of manipulated living systems; a pneumatically operated prosthetic hand that activates involuntary bodily movements, and a robotic exoskeleton that passengers "the body" according to the choreography of the machine.

Events such as this reflect the commitment of the Life Sciences Institute and the School of Art and Design to support collaborative, interdisciplinary projects, which inspire reasoned debate and playful discussion on the intersections of art and science, the relationships between the corporeal body, technology and consciousness, and on the very nature of human existence itself.

By Patricia Olynyk, Assistant Professor and Director, Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitors Program, School of Art and Design, UM