Twitch of the death nerve

BACKGROUND 'Twitch of the death nerve' is a kinetic sculpture that contributes to a body of creative works that explore the role technology is playing in redefining contemporary aesthetics. It draws on Haig's past work that focuses on the themes of the human body, devolution, abjection, transformation and psychopathology. CONTRIBUTION Exhibited at the International Symposium of Electronic Art (ISEA) in Istanbul, 'Twitch of the death nerve' produced innovations in process and form through engagement with new approaches to kinetic based electronic art as well as in the conceptual realm. With regards to the latter, the work challenges the ways in which we consider the human body and its relationship to the media landscape and new and emerging technologies. This relationship, between the body, new technology and digital spaces, was also the subject of a paper presented by Haig at ISEA. SIGNIFICANCE 'Twitch of the death nerve' was selected by curators Lanfranco Acet and Özden Şahin for inclusion in the 'Uncontainable' exhibition at ISEA in Istanbul, Turkey. ISEA is one of the world's most prestigious symposia for exhibiting electronic and media based art. The 2011 symposium in Istambul was scheduled to coincide with the Istanbul Biennale which extended exposure significantly. Indeed, the 2011 symposium was the largest to date, with 1500 registered attendees and over 100 exhibiting artists. Haig received a Cultural Exchange grant from Arts Victoria to exhibit the 'Twitch of the death nerve' at ISEA. His work was subsequently featured in the Leonardo Electronic Almanac, the international peer reviewed electronic journal and web archive covering the interaction of the arts, sciences, and technology.