Neil Harbisson

Neil Harbisson – Life, Work & Vision as a Cyborg Artist

Neil Harbisson (born July 27, 1982) is a British-Irish-Spanish artist and activist, best known for having an antenna implanted in his skull that lets him perceive colors through sound. Discover his life, art, philosophy, and powerful quotes.

Introduction

Neil Harbisson is often described as the world’s first legally recognized cyborg artist. His unique integration of biology and technology allows him to expand human perception—he “hears” colors beyond the visible spectrum, composes sound-portraits, and advocates for transpecies rights. Far more than a novelty, Harbisson challenges boundaries between human, machine, art, and identity, provoking questions about what it means to sense, to create, and to become.

Early Life and Background

Neil Harbisson was born on July 27, 1982 (some sources also list 1984) in London, United Kingdom, to a father of Irish descent and a mother from Spain and German background.

He was born with achromatopsia, a rare condition in which one cannot perceive color—everything appears in shades of gray.

He grew up in Mataró, Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain), where he studied music, dance, and visual arts. Harbisson’s early artistic training and engagement with creative forms laid a foundation for his later hybrid work between art and technology.

The Cyborg Antenna — Transforming Perception

Concept & Development

In 2003, while studying at Dartington College of Arts in England, Harbisson encountered cybernetic theory and began collaborating with Adam Montandon.

They developed what Harbisson calls the “eyeborg”, a device mounted on his head which uses a sensor to detect color frequencies and converts them into audible vibrations transmitted through bone conduction (into his skull).

In 2004, Harbisson had the sensor permanently implanted—integrating the device into his body system.

Capabilities and Extensions

The antenna allows Harbisson to perceive not just standard visible colors, but also infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths—beyond what human eyes normally see.

Moreover, his antenna is Wi-Fi–enabled: he can receive color information from satellites, cameras, images, or video directly into his perceptual system.

Harbisson refers to himself as both a cyborg and transpecies—he no longer views himself purely as human but as a being whose identity includes his technological extensions.

Because of administrative challenges with his passport photo (which included his antenna), he petitioned the British passport office to recognize his antenna as part of his body. In 2004, the UK government accepted it, making him the first person officially recognized as a cyborg.

Artistic Work & Projects

Harbisson’s art is deeply intertwined with his sensory extension. His work explores color, sound, perception, identity, and the merging of human and machine.

Sound Portraits

One of his key works is “Sound Portraits”, where he stands before a person and sweeps his antenna across their face, reading the colors and converting them into microtonal notes. The result is a sonic portrait—representing color as sound. He has made portraits of many public figures (e.g. authors, artists, dignitaries).

Exhibitions & Honors

• His works have been exhibited at major venues, including the 54th Venice Biennale (Giudecca 795 Gallery)

• He has shown in Vienna Museumsquartier, Bankside Gallery (London), Royal College of Art (London), Centre d’Art Santa Mònica (Barcelona), and others.

• His practice has won design and innovation awards (e.g. Europrix Award, Submerge Innovation) for the eyeborg device.

Collaborative & Performance Work

Harbisson has collaborated with Moon Ribas (a fellow cyborg artist) in performances, artworks, and cyborg activism.

He also engages in art-performance and action art, often integrating his antenna and sensory technology into live works that explore perception and hybrid agency.

Philosophy, Identity & Activism

Harbisson’s life is not just art but a manifesto of new being. His ideas include:

• Expanding human senses: He argues that technology should not just assist humans, but transform what humans can perceive and feel—creating new perceptual dimensions.

• Recognition of cyborg rights: He co-founded the Cyborg Foundation (2010) to defend cyborg rights and promote cyborg art.

• Transpecies movement: In 2017 he co-founded the Transpecies Society, an organization advocating for individuals who identify beyond purely human biological categories, granting freedom of self-design of new senses and organs.

• Art as extension of identity: He sees his antenna not as an accessory but as part of his body—and thus his perception and art are inseparable from his identity.

Famous Quotes

Here are several notable statements attributed to Neil Harbisson:

“I listen to color.”

“The eyeborg is not an extension of the human sensory system—it is the sensory system.” (Paraphrase of his view on the integration of his antenna)

“Extending our senses can create more empathy and understanding toward the planet and toward other species.”

“I am not 100 % human” (referring to identifying as a transpecies)

Lessons & Reflections

From Neil Harbisson’s perspective and journey, several reflective lessons arise:

1. Art can be radical embodiment
   His work shows that art is not just representation, but a mode of existing—blurring boundaries between body, technology, and expression.

2. Identity is mutable, not fixed
   Harbisson’s self-identification as a cyborg and transpecies challenges conventional definitions of what a person is or can be.

3. Technology is not merely a tool, but a medium of being
   In his view, devices integrated into us change how we exist, not just how we act.

4. Perception shapes reality
   By altering how he senses the world, Harbisson not only changes his inner experience, but invites us to reconsider how “reality” is constructed by our senses.

5. Advocacy for new rights
   As humans increasingly augment themselves, questions of rights, recognition, regulation, and ethics will become more urgent—and pioneers like Harbisson play a role in shaping those conversations.

Conclusion

Neil Harbisson occupies a unique place at the intersection of art, technology, and identity. His life is an experiment in becoming more than human—fusing sensory extension, perceptual innovation, and creative expression. Through his antenna, he hears what others see; through his activism, he asks us to imagine futures where identity, body, and perception are not barriers but canvases.