PERFECT ORGANISM: FUNCIONALIDADE XENOERÓTICA E A ARTE TECNO-GÓTICA DE H. R. GIGER

Abstract

This paper aims to bring forth, through the analysis of the relationship between the works of Swiss artist H. R. Giger and the Gothic, the ambiguous and biopolitical concept of xenoerotic functionality, in order to counteract totalizing and pessimistic interpretations of both Giger's work and the concept of reverse colonization used to analyze novels like Dracula. In the first part of the text, I provide a brief biography of Giger and analyze some formulations of the concept of Gothic to outline a connection between his artistic production and the Gothic. In the second part, I build on Groom's comparison between the film Alien and the novel Dracula to develop the concept of xenoerotic functionality, exploring ideas such as miscegenation, xenophilia, eroticism, monstrosity, functionality, and technique, so that I can, in the end, reinterpret the concept of the New Flesh through the lens of xenoerotic functionality, emphasizing its affirmative potential in a biopolitical context, while maintaining a cautious approach to its intrinsic challenges. In the final section, I summarize my argument, offering a reflection on the work accomplished and potential directions for future inquiries.