Jane Holt — Performance Artist, Transhuman and Bodybuilder.....

Currently Artist in Residence at the University of Salford, engaged upon an 'art/science' collaboration with the Department of Advanced Robotics, sponsored by the Leverhulme Trust. Hoping to start a practice based PhD in October this year and will explore the following issues as detailed in my research proposal.

Research Proposal

Techno-metamorphosis: Re-designing the human from bodybuilding to bionics, and beyond.....

Research aims:

a. To explore the merging of human with technology leading to a 'blurring' of the boundary between the two systems, resulting in various hybrid outcomes, ranging from the transhuman through to the ultimate system — the humanoid robot or android.

b. To explore how this transformation can take many forms, spanning diet and exercise, prosthetics, retinal/cochlear implants, exoskeleton design, robotics, artificial organs, through to genetic engineering, memory chip implants and cryonics.

c. To investigate how the human body is being 'infiltrated' by technology — both internally and externally, looking to a future scenario in which it will be difficult to ascertain which is human and organic, and which is artificial and machine?

d. To examine this technological transmutation in both positive and negative terms. The positive will range from exploring the uses of medical and sports technology which can extend the parameters of the human body, thereby overcoming its limitations, to studying objections on both religious and ethical grounds.

In philosophical terms, Heidegger's "The question concerning Technology" has proved to be useful, though now concentrating on what it means to be human ( or posthuman!).

A perennial question and one that may never be truly answered!

A study of Emmanuel Levinas will be undertaken as part of my PhD research.

My current work and other examples of my artistic practice can be viewed on my website, the address which is: www.symbionic.net.