Together they created the Cyborg Foundation in 2010, with the aim of assisting humans in becoming cyborgs, advocating for cyborg rights, and fostering cyborg art. Initially located at Tecnocampus in Mataró, the foundation relocated to Barcelona and later to New York in 2014 after receiving the Cre@tic award from Tecnocampus.
Since its conception the foundation has launched a load of cool new projects such as giving cyborg antennas to blind communities in Europe, Asia, and America. The first blind person to test out an eyeborg was Sabriye Tenberken followed by blind students from Braille Without Borders in Tibet and folks from the Sociedad de Ciegos de Pichincha in Ecuador.
The organization advocates for the consideration of certain cybernetic enhancements as integral body parts rather than mere devices. It was formed in reaction to the increasing volume of letters and emails that Neil Harbisson received from individuals worldwide who were intrigued by the idea of becoming a cyborg.
Neil Harbisson, a British native, identifies himself as a "cyborg activist" due to being born with monochromatic vision. To address this condition, he underwent a procedure to have an antenna implanted in his skull, enabling him to perceive colors through sound.
Harbisson encountered challenges in finding a doctor willing to perform the surgery, as a bio-ethical committee initially deemed the procedure unethical. Eventually, he located a doctor in Barcelona who agreed to conduct the surgery anonymously.
Through the implanted antenna, Harbisson can detect a wide range of colors beyond human vision, including infrareds and ultraviolets, by interpreting sound waves transmitted as vibrations on his skull. Additionally, the antenna allows him to receive electromagnetic radiation, phone calls, music, and even convert videos or images into audible vibrations. Equipped with WiFi capabilities, the antenna enables him to receive signals and data from satellites.
Catalan cyborg artist Moon Ribas is best known for creating and installing seismic sensors in her feet, enabling her to perceive earthquakes in real time through vibrations.
She shares her seismic sensitivity with audiences by translating earthquakes into sound in pieces like Seismic Percussion, or into movement in works like Waiting For Earthquakes. In these performances, the Earth becomes the composer and choreographer, with Ribas acting as the interpreter.
Ribas’ implants also enable her to detect moonquakes, the vibrations occurring on the Moon. Ribas suggests that by expanding our sensory perception beyond Earth, we can all transform into 'senstronauts'. Developing this additional sense enabled her to experience a connection to the Moon while remaining physically on Earth, essentially allowing her to inhabit both Earth and space simultaneously.
In 2007, Moon's first project was designing and wearing kaleidoscopic glasses for a duration of three months. These glasses restricted her vision to perceiving only colors without shapes. This absence of shape recognition not only heightened her ability to differentiate colors but also improved her perception of motion. The slightest color variation in her visual field signaled a change in position.
She also created a speedometer glove that allows her to perceive the exact speed of any movement around her through vibrations on her hand. And a pair of earrings that gave her 360-degree perception, also through vibrations.
Comments