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Artist Implants Third Ear On His Own Arm
Artist Stelios Arcadiou has had the ear created in a lab from cells and implanted into his skin
London Daily Mail
August 29, 2008
Artist implants ‘third ear’ on his own arm
Performance artists are known for pushing the bounderies, but one Australian has astonished his contemporaries by having a third ear implanted onto his arm.
The Cypriot-born eccentric Stelios Arcadious spent 10 years searching for a surgeon willing to perform the controversial operation.
He got his wish after working as a Research Fellow at Nottingham Trent University’s Digital Research Unit. The ear was grown in a lab from cells and implanted into the 61-year-olds left forearm in 2006.
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Mr Arcadious said he thought art “should be more than simply illustrating ideas.” Once the ear has fully developed he hopes to get a microphone implanted as well.
“It is more of a relief at present than an ear but it is still recognisable as an ear,” he said.
The performance artist has become a living exhibit and is planing to install tiny transmitters so people can hear the sounds his arm-ear is picking up
Mr Arcadious’ ear is similar to the Vacanti mouse
“The last operation was in September 2006 and its only now that I’m about ready for the next step.
“I hope to have a tiny microphone implanted to it that will connect with a bluetooth transmitter; that way you can listen to what my ear is hearing.”
An audience in Newcastle Centre For Life was introduced to Stelarc’s latest project, a ‘walking head’ robot which will be a feature there for a month. The six legged robot with its head on a screen is one of the highlights of the Dott 07 design festival.
It is programmed to respond to someone entering the room, so every visitor will be treated to a little robot dance.
roni
3 days ago
154 comments
whatever makes your socks roll up and down.....................
nathangriffith
2 months ago
592 comments
Again I implore you all to check out his site (http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/ ). This piece is just one of many that explore the concept of body and its mechanics. Most are designed to articulate the divide between the body's phenomenological presence in the world and it's design as a physical machine. While this is not one of my favorite pieces it fits well into his conceptual framework. I feel like the majority of responses here are pretty dismissive and close-minded reactions to an article that in no way looks beyond the simple act of what he has done to provide any explanation of its significance. He is just one of many artists in recent history to work in non-traditional mediums to explore the bodies relationship the its world.
nathangriffith
2 months ago
592 comments
While on the surface this made seem odd and even perverse you have to see it in the context of Stelarc's history. Personally, I love the guy. This isn't my favorite piece of his but I do appreciate it. Check his site. http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/
nathangriffith
2 months ago
592 comments
While on the surface this made seem odd and even perverse you have to see it in the context of Stelarc's history. Personally, I love the guy. This isn't my favorite piece of his but I do appreciate it. Check his site. http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/
DonnaMe
2 months ago
1794 comments
is it like, sculpture? kinda creepy....
ardor2871
2 months ago
6 comments
You gotta be kidding me?
____________
2 months ago
2494 comments
this is gross for me.my entire body will be itchy if i see this in real
graphis
2 months ago
7486 comments
Provocative...insane and very cool.
Heppyartist
2 months ago
396 comments
that is devotion, and that is also strange, odd, creepy, and not very attractive. sigh,.. art:)
MayZayan
2 months ago
40 comments
What do you think the ear represents in this particular position? I'm curious to understand the interpretation that the artist was going for with this peculiar - yet fascinating - gesture. Why just one ear on the forearm and not another on the other arm? What is the significance of this particular location? I'm curious...
JoshuaSteele
2 months ago
456 comments
This is definitely pushing boundaries!!! It reminds me of the "Lizard Man" who tattooed scales all over his body and forked his tongue and filed his teeth down to look like a reptile... Though he is more of a "sideshow" than a performance artist?!
ngrande
10 months ago
2 comments
I've met Stelarc before when he was a visiting professor of Art at The Ohio State University. This is 100 percent like something he would do. If you all think this is sick you should see some of the images of him suspended in air by hooks all over his body. That made me cringe, this is mild for him :)
anthem_78
10 months ago
40 comments
Hmm, definitely something new...weirdest part is that he wants to go on and plant microphones to see what sounds the ear's receiving. What's next, a piercing? Or maybe eyeballs and a nose to form a second face.
Fascinating though. Weird, but fascinating.
sanjoe
10 months ago
3414 comments
I guess each has a right to do with ones body as they wish , and there are strange people out there and this person is certainly one of them. It was an interesting article
Neelabh
10 months ago
50 comments
Well,it won't come as a surprise if any one sooner or later implants a phallus onto his/her forehead or a fingers in places of ears....and it can all be termed as "Perfomance Art/Installation Art/ New Age Body Art" !!! I find this stuff nauseating.What does this kind of thing got to do with art???What did the surgeon think he was doing it for?Money or a 15 seconds of fame?