You may have heard of Iraqi artist and NYU Photography professor Wafaa Bilal who surgically implanted a digital camera to the back of his skull. The 1-year project, aimed to capture and wirelessly stream pictures once every minute was commissioned by a museum in Qatar last year. In December, Bilal’s transition into half-man, half machine was complete. But it seems his body is rejecting the implant. Well, not all of it, just one of the three mounting points that are attached to his cranium. He has recently removed the hardware for the troublesome component and the project will continue as planned.
Why You Shouldn’t Care
In the video below, Bilal is very adamant about his passion for the project. He mentions that art mirrors life and that the purpose of the camera is to capture those little moments in life we might not otherwise have noticed. I call bullshit. The whole thing stinks of someone in desperate need of 15 minutes. The same project could have been performed by wearing a [smaller!] helmet cam, or some other trivial way of mounting a camera to one’s body that didn’t involve surgery. Snowboarders do it all the time, and with much higher quality cameras. This guy spent god knows how much money on this operation, but he saved a buck on the hardware and used a webcam from 1999. Hey brainiac, my 2 year old cell phone takes better pictures, and it can also make calls, and download porn. Heck, this guy could have duct-taped an iPhone3Gs to his head and he would’ve had better results. How about a wider-angle lens to capture more than just door frames? But the world of Art is never fair. Rarely do the people with the most talent or the best vision get the most recognition. Its also about marketing, capitol and SHOCK VALUE.
“OMG, did you hear about the robot guy in the news who takes really shitty pictures and actually teaches photography?”
“Wow that sounds awesome! Sign me up! I’ll take two!I want to eat this shit up with a spoon and lick my fingers afterwards”
One month in: Bilal claims that his close friends are growing irritable of the prosthetic, asking him to turn it off at dinner parties and other intimate gatherings. He says the exercise has shown him who his true friends are. To be fair, what else is there to talk about at a dinner party if this guy’s your guest? Typical topics of conversation are instantly overshadowed by the CAMERA IN MY HEAD.
“So how are the kids doing at soccer, Wafaa?”
“I don’t know but have you heard about the CAMERA IN MY HEAD?”
“…So I got a promotion today at the office…”
“Oh that’s cool, but have you seen the bad-ass CAMERA IN MY HEAD??!”
Yes, Art mirrors life, but this guy’s mirror is really old and dirty and he’s selling the reflection well. It’s like people who sell jeans with the holes already in them. They charge 50% more for jeans that have 10% less material and make consumer’s knees cold. But its popular and “different” and then everyone’s doing it so it must be cool. Sign me up, I’ll take two. OK, shock value is an effective tool. I get it. But if you’re going to do it, why not go balls-out? Why attach it to the back of your head like a wimp and not right smack in the front?! Why not sell it more with a steampunk or highly futuristic design. You want to become a cyborg? Why not really become your art? Express not only the digital product, but the physical attachment. Why not commit to a lifetime instead of just a year? There are so many ways this operation could have been more convincing or relevant.
Even his own girlfriend probably thinks he’s weird, as she allegedly didn’t think he’d go through with it originally. Oh and he’s having trouble sleeping. Duh. You have something attached to your head, genius.
End rant/
[3rdi] [via Gothamist]