Nóra Szabó: Human Pattern
The possibilities of visual representation of the human body in relation to current technological changes.
As an artist, I create works using analogue and digital materials, in line with the development of the theoretical basis of my chosen subject. My area of research is the transformation of the visual representation of the human body, which I explore within the framework of posthuman theories – which describe a radical transformation of concepts of the human body. My aim is to show the links between changes in body representation and current technological innovations and, through this, to explore the relationship between technology and art.
My hypothesis is that the natural body is being elevated to a new level by artificial materials (implants, artificial intelligence methods, robotics), and that through this process the concept of the body is changing. Contrary to, for example, transhumanist theories that describe this as a more developed humanist approach (an approach that preserves the hierarchy of species and materials with the human at the centre/at the centre), my idea is that the concept of the human body of our time is moving towards a heterogeneous composition that is best represented by a combination of natural and artificial materials, i.e. by the combined use of analogue (plaster casting, drawing) and digital media (digital drawings, 3D printing).
For this reason, my work can be classified as intermedia, using both sculptural and digital techniques. The digitally edited images will form the basis of the artworks that will later be produced as casts. In addition, in the future I would like to use digital interfaces such as 3D models and virtual reality (VR). My ultimate goal is to combine 3D printed surfaces with plaster casts and moulded rubber surfaces. I also plan to use 3d printed objects as moulds or to integrate them as a structure to stiffen plaster/rubber. Ultimately, my aim is to create a complex installation in which the use of materials as mentioned above would represent the research theme in close context.