Instructors : Victoria Vesna Siddharth RamakrishnanName : Ginny, Chin-hui HwangMajor : Design & Technology

Surrogate Second Skin :

Eternal Craving Verfremdung Project

Hybrid Worlds: Nano-biotech + Art /Spring / 2010

Abstract

• The Surrogate Second Skin is wearable that will bring to aes-thetic, ethical issues of society especially in terms of the usage of genetic engineering in the nano_biotechnology

• This wearable will generate a new layer on the wearer’s skin, like a Second Skin. This act aims to provoke the wearer into differ-entiating consciousness from preconscious by watching ‘growing’ body parts of oneself in the everyday life

 • The frame of Mind; Eternal Craving Verfremdung is about

bringing questions like what is life, how we live from one’s existence

Verfremdung; German playwright Bertolt Brecht built his dramatic the-ory as the alienation effect to accomplish aesthetic distance

I am in a state of perpetual war with my-self and my mind, crossing the ins and outs of a life without a perimeter, a state that breeds perpetual fear

This fear stems from my extreme desire to create alternative representations of my-self, to create a safe space, to multiply my-self, so that my current identity can disap-pear. Concept of this Project is tenacity of mine to the personal space as the passage of 'deviation', 'escape' and ‘self deception’

Concept

Concept

• A Genetically Engineered creation, Surrogate Second Skin will stand for organs for transplantation

• Instead of using Transgenic Animals, use yours through the process of this wearable DIY(do-it-yourself)-Manufacturing Surrogate Second Skin; a substance made from a mix of protein and connective tissue

• Replacement of ear, heart, bladder even a human embryo

• Wearable awareness; personal observation on one’s own temptation Temptation : Essence of consciousness-being awareness of choice

Extreme beauty : Social context, or subdued desire

Jeremy scoot. "Body modification“ 1996

Peddy Hartley“Short Cuts To Beauty: Face Corset 16.”2004

Social Context

Social Context

Oncomouse :Engineered to be susceptible to cancer. (1988)

Artist Stelios Arcadiou :The ear created in a lab from cells and im-planted into his skin

Use of Mouse & Pig Heart cells to make a Human Heart

University of Minnesota Laboratory

Social Context

Precedents

Tissue + Culture “Semi-Living Seamless Jacket”

FDA . “Synthetic Skin.” (1998)

London College of Fashion“Skin Architecture” (2004)

sensory experience ; involving sight, smell, touch

Precedents

Donna Franklin. (Australia)“Micro’be’Fermented Fashion”(2006 - )

Peter Allen & Carla Murray(NY)“Skinthetic” (2002) , “BrandX” (2007)

Literature review

“Since the central feature of human existence is the capacity to choose in full awareness of one's own non-being, it follows that the basic question is always whether or not I will be true to myself.

Self-deception invariably involves an attempt to evade responsibility for myself. If, for example, I attribute undesirable thoughts and ac-tions to the influence upon me of the subconscious or unconscious, I have made part of myself into an "other" that I then suppose to control the real me. Thus, using psychological theory to distinguish between a "good I" and a "bad me" only serves to perpetuate my evasion of responsibility and its concomitants”.

(J.P.Sartre)

Idea sketches

Project Proposal

Project Proposal• Open source : The National Insti-tute of Genetics (Japan) has devel-oped "Genome Network Platform Viewer" to make use of the inte-grated database of the Genome Network Project to the public data-bases.

• Pluripotent Stem Cells : The wearer's stem cell is growing in a lab, and then seeded on a biodegradable specific body-part-shaped cage on the second skin

• Sun-power film : To generate the need of energy. This will be trans-formed to electric energy to stimu-late the cell division and neuron ac-tivities.

Project Proposal

Practical advantages of the design

• The Surrogate Second Skin can be contributed to the medical field :

• The organs for transplantation• Cover the injury : serious skin dam-

ages caused by cancers, accidents, etc., and skin disorder diseases

• Purpose of plastic surgeries• Protection layer on the skin : from the

environmental threats such as UV-rays, dusts, and Acid rains, etc.

Project Proposal

Emotional design advantages of the design

• Extreme Accessory : Surrogate Second Skin would fulfill the em-bellish desire. For the certain group of people, this wearable could be curious

Project Proposal

• Tool for Campaign : for example animal lovers and environment con-servatives would use this to give the target emotional stress

• Reminder of “self” like reflecting images of mirror : wearer reaffirm self from evasion of real self-awareness. people do not know what they look like before they see the mirror

PhenomenonTechnology

Potential

As conducting tests on a mind Formula

Project Proposal

Prototype

Prototype

Discussion

• Will people stumble into the useful function of this project?

• What is the key point that makes this project be the “Tipping Point”?

• How far can this Surrogate Second Skin be adapted, or approached to practical world?

•Can people wear?

“And Fear Came Upon Every Soul”

- ACTS 2:43

“He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man”

- Samuel Johnson

References

• Stephen, Wilson. Art + Science Now. Thames & Hudson Inc., 2010.• Sabine, Seymour. Fashionable Technology. Springer Wien New York, 2008.• Sarah E. Braddock Clarke., and Marie O’ Mahony. Techno Textiles. Thames &

Hudson Inc., 2007.• FRAME : The Great Indoors : Issue 72 : The Sensual World. Jan/Feb 2010.• Harold Koda. Extreme Beauty : The Body Transformed. The Metropolitan Mu-

seum of Art, 2008. • Malcolm Gladwell. The Tipping Point. Janklow & Nesbit Associates. 2000.• My Sister's Keeper (film). New Line Cinema. 26 June 2009. (USA) • STEVEN, PINKER. “My Genome, My Self.” NYTimes.com. Published, 7 Jan.

2009. Web. 11 Jan. 2009.

Bibliography / Links

• Bruce Mau., and the Institute without Boundaries. Massive Change. Phaidon Press Inc., 2007.

• “Regenerated Body Parts.” cbsnews.com. CBS News. Evening News Broad-casting, 7 Feb. 2008. Web. 8 Feb. 2008.

• “Manufacturing Body Parts.” cbsnews.com. CBS News. Evening News Broad-casting, 23 Mar.2008. Web. 28 Mar. 2008.

• The Next Nature Foundation. “Ear on your arm? Why not?!” nextnature.net. 18 Oct. 2009.

• Pia Ednie-brown., and students. “Plastic Futures.” designlaboratory.com.au. 2009.

• Peter, Allen., and Carla, Murray. “Skinthetic.” core77.com• Fiona, Macrae. “Ethical storm flares as British scientists create artificial sperm

form human stem cells” dailymail.co.uk. Mail Online. 8 July. 2009.• Karl S. Kruszelnicki.” Mouse with Human Ear.” abc.net.au. ABC Science. Aus-

tralian Broadcasting Corporation. Web. 02 Jun. 2006.• "Genome Network Platform Viewer“. genomenetwork.nig.ac.jp