Bare Conductive Body Paint

custom electronic circuitry for the body

Is there a way that skin could be a substrate for circuitry?  Could an electric current safely travel along the contours of your body? The answer, as four students at London’s Royal College of Art have proven, is yes.

Bare is a non-toxic, removable ink applied directly onto skin that can safely channel an electric charge. With Bare conductive ink, it is possible to paint a path of electronic circuitry. Carbon and metallic based, conductive inks have been around for quite awhile, but Bare was developed to be “an intuitive and non-invasive technology which will allow users to bridge the gap between electronics and the body.” Imagine a temporary tattoo that can power a light bulb—a digital age henna that works like a battery.

The creators of Bare—Matt Johnson, Isabel Lizardi, Bibi Nelson, and Becky Pilditch—set up an experiment for a sound creation dance performance. You can watch the video by clicking on the screen shot below.

Calvin Harris performed his single “Ready for the Weekend” on a Human Synthesizer made up of several women wearing bikinis and Bare conductive ink.

If you want to see the ink in action, Bare will be exhibiting at HUMAN NATURE Festival Ars Electronica in Linz, Austrial 3–8 September.