A Search for Ghosts in the Meat Machine
This set of nine sculptures examines personhood from anatomical, psychological, genetic, biochemical, behavioral, algorithmic, personal narrative and memory. Recent technological innovations allow us to redesign ourselves profoundly— from networked prosthetics and artificial intelligence, to the genetic code of life itself. Can our behaviors be reduced to algorithms? Can our bodies be upgraded with nonorganic integrations? Can sentience itself be manufactured in a lab? In many ways, this installation is an emotional confrontation with being quantifiable.
Each sculpture is the artist’s height, and each glass vitrine holds the artist’s liquid volume. Installation view at MU Hybrid Arthouse in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Installation view at Elijah Wheat Showroom in Newburgh, New York
Installation view at MU Hybrid Arthouse in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Installation view at MU Hybrid Arthouse in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Installation view at State Studio in Berlin, Germany.
Installation view at Chronus Art Center in Shanghai, China.
Installation view at Chronus Art Center in Shanghai, China.
Installation view at Chronus Art Center in Shanghai, China.
Installation view at Chronus Art Center in Shanghai, China.
Details below. Click to enlarge. Individual sculptures listed on projects page.
Video playing on a screen submerged in fluid.
Installation view at Elijah Wheat Showroom. Photo credit Liz Nielsen.
medium
mixed media, including selective laser sintering 3d printed nylon, glass vials, antennas from cellular phones, cow brains, custom electronics, silicone, water, oil, computers, low-leaded glass, fluorescent lights, welded oxidized steel stand
dimensions
A set of 9, each of the artist’s height and volume in liquid form
62” × 29” × 21”
year
2018-2020
installation series
A Search for Ghosts in the Meat Machine
exhibitions
MU Hybrid Arthouse, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, 2018
State Studio Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2020
Elijah Wheat Showroom, Newburgh, New York, 2021
NADA, Miami, Florida, 2021
Chronus Art Center 新时线媒体艺术中心, Shanghai, China 2022
Chengdu Biennale, Chengdu, China, 2023
awards
Biological Art and Design Award, 2018
tags
mind body problem, neuroscience, sentience, quantified self, data, cybernetics, identity
photo credits
Ani Liu, except where noted.
with support from
This project was generously funded by the Biological Art and Design Awards, with scientific guidance from Professor Mario Maas, Matthias Cabri, and Onno Baur from the Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine of Amsterdam UMC.