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Ouch. Demented Japanese Electrocutes Himself & Others in the Name of Art

Dec 19, 2010 10:09 AM

Japanese artist and programmer Daito Manabe uses the face as an instrument. He makes the human face involuntarily dance using electric stimulators (which, by the way, look like the same kind used for electroshock therapy). The stimulators are taped to the face, and each musical beat delivers a shock, resulting in disturbing face contortions in time to the music.

Manabe and others have performed the project many times, in a number of settings. Check out the multiple videos in the gallery below and scroll down for performance images. (OW! sometimes it looks like it truly hurts!).

For more on this concept, check out artist/researcher Arthur Elsenaar's similar exploration.

Person undergoing a medical test with electrodes attached to their face.

Patient undergoing an EEG test with electrodes attached to the scalp.

Person wearing glasses with medical tape and wires on their face.

A person working on electronic equipment with numerous wires in a dimly lit room.

Performers at a multimedia art event with projected visuals in the background.

Two men with facial cream and colorful string accents on their faces, posing together.

A group of individuals engaged in a technology-related project with wires and equipment.

Person wearing a headscarf with electrodes on their face, engaged in a scientific experiment, with a projected face in the background.

Musicians performing with laptops in a dark setting, featuring projected faces in the background.

Performers using laptops on stage with projected expressive faces in the background.

Two individuals performing on stage with large screens displaying faces behind them.

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