The last oil

Humanoil is presented as a ritualistic performance where the audience is invited to install a new belief system in order to achieve the necessary changes. Dressed like a sci-fi inspired priestess wearing a white dress with the symbol of the oil-nation, the artist approaches the audience offering them to receive the last oil and affirmations. The sound of spoken words is accompanied by a sound track inspired by the Solfeggio frequencies that promotes healing and love. (Commonly associated with the Gregorian Chants, the Solfeggio frequencies are electromagnetic tones that are reputed to have the power to heal and raise consciousness.)

Humanoil manifests itself as an extreme luxury product that plays on long historical and mythical references. The extraction and use of human oil has not only been present in myths and magical rituals, but was also practically used for medicinal healing of scars and pain relief. The oil has been sought after as a lucrative product for centuries until the early 1900’s. For the Humanoil project the oil has been made from the artist’s own body fat and rendered into an applicable oil generated to offer anointing, white magic, or pure skincare – your choice. Humanoil wants to shine a spotlight on humans as a natural resource to challenge us to flip our perspective and reflect on how we utilize natural resources according to our own wishes and pleasure. Addressing environmental issues, Humanoil serves as a continuation of Tapio’s previous project – Humanfuel – where the artist offered an alternative biofuel solution. 

The research behind the project was presented during the TTT – Taboo Transgression Transcendence in Art and Science conference in Mexico 2018, entitled Human Oil: From magic and medicine to art. The text is published in Technoetic Arts, Volume 16, Number 3, December 2018, pp. 259-265.

Humanoil was launched as an exclusive live performance with NOBA – Norwegian Bioart Arena in August 12th 2020 and later presented at Ars Electronica in the program Keplers Garden, September 9th-13th 2020