The Life of Parts – The Being of the Semi-Living

The biomass of disassociated living cells and tissues is in the thousands of tons. These fragments do not fall under current biological or cultural classifications. The notion of the Extended Body developed by the TC&A (Tissue Culture & Art) Project can be seen as a way to define this category of life and, at the same time, an attempt to destabilize some of the rooted perceptions of the classification of living beings. The Extended Body is an amalgamation of the human extended phenotype and tissue life – a unified body for disembodied living fragments, an ontological device, set to draw attention to the need for re-examining current taxonomies and hierarchical perceptions of life. The Extended Body is a tangible metaphor for the Victimless Utopian ideal; at the same time, it paradoxically is an embodiment of the sacrifice of the victim. The Extent of a Metaphor A rough estimate would put the biomass of living cells and tissues, which are disassociated from the original bodies that once hosted them, in the millions of tons. In addition, there are tons of fragments of bodies (cells, tissues, organs) that are maintained in suspended animation in cryogenic conditions. All of this biomass requires an intensive technological intervention to prevent transformation to a non-living state. This type of being (or semi-being / semi-living) does not fall under current biological or even cultural classifications. The notion of the Extended Body can be seen as a way to define this category of life, maintaining the need for classification, while at the same time attempting to destabilize some of the rooted perceptions of classification of living beings. Much of this living biological matter can, in theory, be co-cultured and fused (cell fusion), or share its sterile environment (to varying degrees of success). Age, gender, race, species, and location do not play the same roles in the Extended Body as in other living bodies. Research on co-culturing animal and plant cells is currently being conducted. [1] This means that, in theory, every tissue in every living being has the potential to become part of this collection of living fragments. The Extended Body can be seen as an amalgamation of the human extended phenotype and tissue life; the fragmented body that can only survive by technological means: a unified body for disembodied living fragments, and an ontological device, set to draw attention to the need for re-examining current taxonomies and hierarchical perceptions of life. The Extended Body is by no means a fixed, scientifically binding order; it rather is a soft, artistic, and conceptual view of the subject of technologically mediated and augmented life. The Life of Parts – The Being of the