Thomas Thwaiter’s project A holiday from being human (GoatMan), exemplifies a distinct investigation on normality where technological enhancement aids the exploration into the nature of a goat’s behaviour. This project attempts to experience the condition that is considered normal to a goat, which can be recognized as a non-anthropocentric investigation into normality. Another interesting aspect is that Thwaiter’s emulation of the goat, his exoskeleton, can be perceived as an enhancement, or de-enhancement, of the human body.
References:
http://www.thomasthwaites.com/a-holiday-from-being-human-goatman/
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3 Comments on "A Goat’s State of Mind"
Hi Frederik!
Thank you for sharing this! Really intriguing project. My first thought after reading your comment was the possibilities of virtual reality in similar investigations into a non-anthropocentric point of view. I wonder how it would change our perception of ourselves and the world if we had the possibility to experience or embody other life forms convincingly. Could that experience make us more likely to take other species into our consideration and care, just like the experience of extreme poverty could make us more generous and caring for other people in need?
Hi Frederik!
My first reaction to this was “weird, why would he do that?!” but I actually think it is quite cool. I mean, it’s been decades since we used abstractions from the bird and build airplanes. People’s first reaction when the Wright brothers started building an airplane was probably something like my first reaction to the GoatMan.
Do you see the goat emulation as an enhancement or de-enhancement of the human body? I cannot decide..