On November 13, 2024, I gave a presentation as part of the course Space, Body, Object (510-3K1-HU) taught by Dominic Bachand at the Cégep de l’Outaouais. This intervention aimed to explore the interactions between the body and the object in the history of art, highlighting the impact of technological advancements on these relationships.
Article’s thumbnail: Photo by Maxim Berg on Unsplash
Presentation reference:
The Body and the Object in the History of Art and Technologies, presentation as part of the course Space, Body, Object (510-3K1-HU) by Dominic Bachand, Cégep de l’Outaouais.
A Dialogue Between Art, Technology, and Materiality
The history of art is filled with examples where the body interacts with the object in different forms:
- The body as a support for art (body painting, performance, tattooing).
- The object as an extension of the body (artistic prostheses, wearable art, interactive sculpture).
- The hybridization of body and technology in contemporary art, where robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital technology transform the perception of the human body.
The Issues Addressed
Through case studies, this presentation allowed students to reflect on the following questions:
- How has art explored the fusion between the body and the object over time?
- In what ways do new technologies redefine the limits of the human body in art?
- What are the aesthetic and philosophical stakes of these transformations in a posthumanist context?
An Exchange Around the Perception of the Body and New Artistic Practices
By comparing classical and contemporary works, this discussion allowed for an interrogation of the mutations of the body in the history of art and its interaction with objects and technologies. The exchange with students enriched the reflection on materiality, immersion, and new forms of corporeality in art.