"Bionic Bodies — Exploring 'Moist Media' at the Intersection of Psychedelic States, Technology and Queer Perspectives through Print Media Practises"

This research merges wet (serigraph prints) and dry (digital editing) processes to reimagine the bionic body as a site of transformation. Drawing on Roy Ascott's syncretism, Legacy Russell's glitch theory, and McKenzie Wark's concept of hacking, it positions non-binary and queer identities as agents of disruption that remap physical and virtual forms. The resulting giclée prints embody fuzzy ambiguities and darting associations that challenge fixed binaries, reflecting a moist framework between wet and dry. The work bridges art, technology, and philosophy, proposing bodies as fluid sites of innovation and resistance that negotiate materiality and immateriality, inviting critical engagement with power systems and ancestral and queer ways of knowing.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This research explores the convergence of ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ modalities in visual and material processes to reimagine the ‘bionic’ body as a site of syncretic and transformative potential. Rooted in Roy Ascott’s theory of syncretism—finding unity between unlike things—and Legacy Russell’s glitch theory, the thesis creation positions non-binary and queer identities as active agents of disruption, remapping physical and virtual forms. These frameworks intersect with McKenzie Wark’s concept of 'hacking' as a mode of creating new relational planes, where seemingly disparate elements converge to unlock new possibilities for identity and representation. Through the integration of serigraph prints (‘wet’ processes) with digital editing techniques (‘dry’ spaces) and their iterative translation back into tangible outputs, the resulting giclée prints embody “fuzzy ambiguities” and “darting associations” that challenge fixed binaries. This process reflects a syncretic approach that mirrors the experiential overlap of psychedelics and digital interfaces, both of which mediate altered states of consciousness and modes of engagement. By visualizing and activating a ‘moist’ framework—an interstitial space between wet and dry—the research situates the body as a fluid site of innovation and resistance, negotiating tensions between materiality and immateriality. It invites critical engagement with systems of power, proposes reconciliations with ancestral and queer ways of knowing, and celebrates the inherent intelligences within glitch and disruption. This research bridges art, technology, and philosophy, offering a speculative vision of bodies as sites of continuous reformation and collective transformation.