Marco Donnarumma (b 1984)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Donnarumma
Marco Donnarumma’s Nigredo: Configuring Human and Technological Bodies is an immersive, one-on-one installation that explores the entanglement of human physiology and machine systems. Drawing from alchemical symbolism, particularly the concept of nigredo—the blackening or decomposition phase—Donnarumma invites participants to experience a transformation of self-perception through technological mediation.
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Core Concepts and Philosophical Framework
Donnarumma’s work is grounded in theories of transindividuation, biomediation, and bodily performativity.
• Transindividuation: Inspired by philosopher Gilbert Simondon, this concept refers to the process by which individuals are formed through collective and technological interactions.
• Biomediation: The use of technology to mediate and transform biological processes, emphasizing the fluid boundaries between organic and synthetic entities.
• Bodily Performativity: The idea that the body is not a static entity but is continuously shaped and reshaped through actions, technologies, and cultural contexts.
These frameworks challenge traditional notions of a fixed, autonomous self, proposing instead that identity emerges through dynamic interactions between the body and technology.
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The Installation Experience
In Nigredo, a single participant enters a darkened booth and is fitted with the XTH Sense, a biosensor developed by Donnarumma that captures internal bodily sounds such as heartbeat, blood flow, and muscle contractions. These sounds are processed and fed back to the participant through surround sound, infrasound vibrations, and flickering lights. The intense sensory feedback creates a state of perceptual deprivation, leading to a disassociation from one’s own body.
This experience is designed to disrupt the participant’s habitual self-perception, revealing the body’s vulnerability and its entwinement with technological systems.
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Political and Cultural Implications
Donnarumma critiques the commodification of the body in advanced capitalist societies, where biological data is harvested and utilized by corporations. By making the body’s internal processes audible and tangible, Nigredo confronts the participant with the reality of their own body’s data being externalized and manipulated.
This confrontation serves as a commentary on the erosion of bodily autonomy and the increasing integration of human bodies with technological systems.
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Conclusion
Nigredo is a powerful exploration of the human body’s transformation through technological mediation. By immersing participants in a sensory experience that blurs the boundaries between self and machine, Donnarumma invites a reevaluation of identity, autonomy, and the nature of embodiment in the digital age.
For a deeper understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of Nigredo, you can refer to Donnarumma’s publication: Nigredo: Configuring Human and Technological Bodies.
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