The Construction of the Body and the Appearance through « Body Hacking »
This paper discusses the topic of extreme body modification by focusing on the movement defined as « body hacking ». Grounded in the technological era, it illustrates the emergence of a socially extended, rational, organic model that makes use of artificial materials in the personal sphere. To illustrate, we mention the use of subcutaneous microchips, magnetic implants, epidermis replacement by titanium plates, and vibrating genital implants. The « body hackers » propose new feelings or emotions that participate in the development of a new relation to the body by increasing its sensory capacity. Meanwhile, their first objective is deconstructing body normativity and freeing themselves from any power that desires to control corporeality. We propose to identify the treatment that these actors reserve to the body : observing what they do. Which body do they project, and to which man ? Through an international ethnographic investigation describing these new practices related to bodily changes and its enhancement, this study identifies the transformation of the organism operating within our societies. It shows new interactions between man and technology which, rather than just compensating for a disability, provide additional functions.