Digital Foundations (ART190) : Bronner

Posthumanism and Transhumanism

Project Description

With the computer, your developing skills and your imagination you can envision the future now. You will design and create a posthuman or a transhuman and make an image of her/him/them to show the class.

For this project each student will consider what it is to be posthuman or (transhuman) and to live in a posthuman (or transhuman) condition. Some envision posthumans as an advanced version of humanity that is no longer bound by human nature and have developed mentally and spiritually into a more advanced state of being. Conversely posthumans need not be a replacement for humans. Perhaps they live alongside humans. This project allows the student to use their artistic skills with the aid of the computer to achieve these ends and imagine themselves as a posthuman. Students are to create at least image of themselves as a posthuman, whatever that might be.

Consider: Should you be represented underwater, at a football game, in outer space, in the bathtub, in a tropical forest? The environment can substantially support or detract from your final image.

What is a Posthuman?

Posthuman can be described as a speculative being that represents or seeks to re-conceive the human. Posthuman is a term used to describe beings that are evolved past human. There are various modes of thought about what a posthuman might be like. The links under the heading RELATED ARTICLES below are a good place to start reading.

Some topics discussed around the concept of posthumanism are: cyborgs, artificial intelligence, posthuman god, the Kardashev scale of civilization, biological engineering (breeding as in dogs for example, is a type of biological engineering), astroengineering, nanotechnology, psychopharmacology, wearable computers, (such as Google Glass) and downloading yourself into the internet. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but can serve as starting points for your research.

Are Superheroes Posthumans?

Where do superheroes fit into the categories of human, posthuman, and transhuman? While you consider that, enjoy this short radio program on super powers from This American Life and let me know which you choose: flight or invisibility.
John Hodgman conducts an informal survey on This American Life.

The digital images (Super Models) of Valérie Belin.

Reddit discussion thread on the impact of Artificial Intelligence < 5 years from March 19, 2024.

Yuval Harari warns humans will be "hacked" if artificial intelligence is not globally regulated. Article on CBSnews.com and interview on 60 Minutes, broadcast on October 31, 2021

‘Yeah, we’re spooked’: AI starting to have big real-world impact, says expert. Article in The Guardian, October 29, 2021

A.I. Is Not A-OK. Interview with Eric Schmidt past CEO of Google. , ~ October 30, 2021

Discussion on Reddit.com regarding interview (dead link) with Eric Schmidt.

A major scientific group called for a halt on gene editing on humans. Article published at NPR.org on March 13, 2019.

This Chinese researcher may have been the first to edit human DNA. Article published at NPR.org on November 26, 2018.

Learn about genetic sequencing here via a Sept 18, 2012 national public radio story.

According to transhumanist thinkers, a posthuman is a hypothetical future being "whose basic capacities so radically exceed those of present humans as to be no longer unambiguously human by our current standards." Learn more here.

Requirements for Finished Works

Successful completion of this project requires significant research. It requires much more reading and thought than any previous project in this class and perhaps more than you have put into any college assignment you have undertaken.
Students will create at least one images of the same posthuman or transhuman.
Your posthuman/transhuman must resemble you.
This project like many projects in this class requires that you spend time sketching, planning and developing your ideas before commencing work. Successful work takes planning. Research. Sketch. Take notes. Play on paper before beginning with the computer, (color sketches must be created first). Great artists make sketches and notes before beginning their work.
Some elements of your final posthuman images must originate in a drawn, painted, clay sculpture or other art form (medium) made outside of the computer which is to be scanned. Then, it may be manipulated further, if desired, once in the computer.
You are encouraged to show your color sketches to the professor and receive feedback before working on the computer.
Each completed image must involve some digital image manipulation completed with the computer.
Successful images will have some element of "How did she do that?"
300 pixels per inch for printing. This means you MUST find images of high resolution. You may have to scan in your own images
Professional presentation
This project requires significant reading and research.

What is it to be human?

In order to begin to understand what a posthuman or transhuman might be, it will be helpful to be able to address the following:

What is it to be human?
What is human nature?
According to the literature, for there to be posthumans, would humans have to be extinct?
Who determines what a posthuman is?
What is the difference between a posthuman and a transhuman, according to the literature?
Can you name any fictional being that you believe meets the definition of posthuman?
Can you name any fictional being that you believe meets the definition of transhuman?
You are human. What makes you different than what are generally referred to as animals?
Do power and spreading one's DNA figure into what makes one human? If so, how? And if not, why not?
Consider Theseus' ship paradox (and Hobbes' addendum)

Transhumans Might Possess

Below are some characteristics that some believe posthumans might have. Consider what these might look like in a posthuman or transhuman body.

solar protected skin
texture diversity
more soul (spirit) and less flesh
skin with chromatic variability
fiberoptic nerve systems
the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism
empathy enhancers
empathy blockers
nanotech memory storage
network sonar sensors
olfactory enhancements
pentachromatic eyes
dynamic hair management
connection to a future internet
thermal protective keratin
x-ray vision
superhero-like strength
enhanced spiritual awareness
greater empathy toward other beings
environmental stewardship priorities
nuturing pathways

To Read and Review

How to build a dog. National Geographic article on how to unravel DNA.
Genetic sequencing. (on NPR).
Blade Runner Here is the trailer
Gattaca. Here is the movie trailer
Ex Machina. Here is the movie trailer
The Borg from Star Trek. Brief History of the Borg on Youtube
Facebook is the Borg online article
Consider, what is the nature of humans? Is it in this, article?
Black Mirror TV program, episode Nosedive from series three, 2016.
Upload yourself to the Net. Article at BBC.com
Orlan on Youtube
Greek, Roman, Norse, or other mythologies.
Posthumans in pop culture
Humanity Plus
Is Dr. Manhattan from The Watchmen posthuman?. His conflict with Rorschach and the core of human nature
Look up Nathalie Djurberg art videos. Youtube is a starting place.
Nathalie Djurberg

Project Materials

USB drive.
Colored pencils, sketchbook, markers, pens
Camera, scanners and other input devices

Grade Rubric

As always originality, craftmanship, presentation and uniqueness of your solutions will be considered in determining your grade with the most original and highest craft receiving the best grades. For critique be prepared to discuss your process and how your work relates to the concept of posthuman with the class.

5% quality presentation
15% participation in critique and discussion
60% demonstration of art and design principles to achieve an original and well crafted set of images.
20% demonstrated research through writing and prepatory drawings

Timeline

November 21st: Turn in copies of research (20% of grade for this project)
December 9th: Turn in work for printing by 6am.
December 10th: Final critique begins at 8am! All works trimmed and up by 8:05am.

Class Rules

No cell phones may be used during class. CELL PHONES MUST BE TURNED OFF during class. If you are using a cell phone during class you may have your grade dropped by one letter grade for each instance.

Format

Your final images should be presented in a clean, neat, and professional manner on paper. Minimum size is 14 x 18 inches. Before beginning work, be sure to set your pixels per inch (PPI) to 300.
Consider a presentation method which enhances your image or follows along with your concept. Is any one presentation format more appropriate than another to convey your vision of posthumanity?
NOTE: Always set your PPI before you begin. It is difficult if not impossible to successfully increase PPI after work has begun and still maintain a clean sharp image.
Works must be mounted on black with a minimum of a three inch border.

Don't Do This

Don't present your figure in a generic or blank background like this.
Every image of your figure must be in an engaging space.

Instead Do This

Present your figure(s) in a space. Think about having figures interact. Think about what they are doing. Consider your image as a still frame from a movie. Can you see how this image suggests interaction between two characters? It also implies that one is deep in thought or feeling an emotion. It suggests a narrative. This is a successful image in part for that reason. What might your character be engaged in? How can that activity support your design and ideas? (Also see the three images above by Michael Kiser. They are excellent examples of a figure interacting in an engaging space.)