DIFFUSION

Why don’t humans have patterned texture? Humans will be able to get it.

Kouhei Nakama over his work:

This work begins with my encounter with mathematical formulas, Reaction-Diffusion Systems. It is reported that patterns generated by the systems have similarities to natural patterns of animals, insects and plants. It is also pointed out that this pattern could be the basis of the morphogenesis of an organism. Just after the encounter with the formulas, I had a question in my mind. Why isn’t human skin covered with patterns? As I researched, I found that human skin is also covered with the pattern, Blaschko’s lines. The stripes are ordinarily invisible with the naked eye, because they are very vague.

I consider that there is the possibility that people could obtain patterns like animals in the future. We have found solutions for the environment, medical treatment and food by using biotechnologies such as cell fusion and genetic recombination. In the future, if we have a drastic environmental change – for example, radioactive contamination or strong UV radiation due to the ozone depletion – we would need to recombine our DNA with different species’ for protection. Consequently, human skin could gain patterns. People have a long history of tattooing on the body for religious, cultural and decorative purposes from ancient times. If it were possible to wear tattoos with no hurt, people would do that by genetic recombination.

I didn’t use any photographs or any hand-drawn illustration in the video at all on purpose. Patterns and the skin texture were generated by programming and the human model was made not by using 3D human body scanning but by completely using a computer. I demonstrated the theme “to artificially modify the human bodies” by following the rules. In the video, you’ll see human beings having DNA transferred from other natural organisms such as luminescent coral and a shell absorbing metal into its body. In the end, I explored the possibility further and humans formed a colony of individuals, which represents the end of individuals. To what extent will we transform ourselves? Then what will be the definition of human beings?