Stelarc's "Zombies and Cyborgs"

It seems that for Stelarc, man and technology are not two separated things. Mankind's identity  is intimately attached to  technology and that can be seen in the evolution of our specie. Therefore, man's bodies in their natural state would remain obsolete. 

According to Stelarc "the body is an evolutionary architecture that operates and becomes aware in the world". In his performances Stelarc explores the limits and  capacities of his body through the use technology. He has amplified the functions of his body by attaching the most advanced devices into his flesh and internal organs and by connecting his thoughts to electronic components. He wants to prove that there is harmony in the interaction of man and artificial intelligence since technology allows us to exercise our mental  powers, to exist in the virtual plane, and to prolong the existence of our bodies .

Mankind has evolved, adapted to changes and the reality determines that our bodies are the instrument to our minds. Stelarc created some machines that when attached to his body, provoke some involuntary behavior through electrical stimulation, remote assistance and the internet. His body becomes an organism that  functions as an automatic machine, an antenna that receives commands and stimulus  from external computers and the virtual space. Stelarc points out that the body behaves with "indifference" to the shifts and modifications that humans  apply to it,  and that allows some other things to occur. Therefore in some performances Stelarc behaves as a zombie, a cyborg and suspends his body hanged from hooks.

 In addition, it can sound like science fiction, but "the prosthetic augmentation and extended operational systems" of the body are part of the human life. We are more than familiar with the new technological advancements of our century although we do not reflect on them. Stelarc provides many examples to demonstrate that technology soaks our existence and that the exploration in medical and genetic fields demonstrate that our specie is reaching new frontiers.  Nowadays, "organs are extracted and exchanged, organs are engineered and inserted, blood flowing in my body today might be circulating in your body tomorrow. Ova are fertilized by sperm that was once frozen, limbs can be amputated from a dead body and reattached and reanimated on a living body, cadavers can be preserved forever." And cadavers might be reanimated in the future.

To sum up, Stelarc states that humanity and technology are blended together and that mankind's identity cannot be separated  from the virtual plane and artificial life. The intelligence of our minds have exceeded the capacities of our physical bodies, and the new advancements in technology, medicine and genetics amplify the functions of our bodies to endure and evolve towards the future.