Artist has chip placed inside his hand that reveals artwork when read by a smartphone

• The effect is produced using an RFID chip equipped with a tiny antenna
• Chip was implanted in the fleshy part between the thumb and index finger
• Placing a smartphone 1-2 cm close to the scar allows you to see artwork

In the name of art, New Yorker, Anthony Antonellis has undergone a gruesome procedure to implant a ‘digital tattoo’ in his hand.

Other than a scar, you can’t see his tattoo. But hold a smartphone against the incision, and Mr Antonellis' latest masterpiece is revealed.

The effect is produced using a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, around the size of a grain of rice, and equipped with a tiny antenna.

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Artist Implant a Net Art RFID Chip Into His Hand

Anthony Antonellis (pictured) has undergone a gruesome procedure to implant a 'digital tattoo' in his hand
Artist Implant a Net Art RFID Chip Into His Hand

The digital tattoo uses a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, around the size of a grain of rice, which has been buried in Mr Antonellis' hand and equipped with a tiny antenna

This chip stores 1KB of data and is readable by compatible phones, tablets, card readers and the Arduino microcontroller.

To implant the chip, the visual artist turned to a body modification specialist in Brooklyn.

RFID is used in our everyday lives to, for instance, get in and out of buildings securely, but Mr Antonellis believed it could be a useful technology for keeping his art with him all the time.

‘It’s usually used for privacy, and I’m using it for a public purpose, which is to distribute artwork,’ Mr Antonellis told Animal NY.

The implant can be read from a distance of about 1 to 2 cm and artwork can be added to the chip by sending data through a smartphone.

Since the chip is a passive device it doesn’t require a battery, but is instead powered by the magnetic field generated from the reader.
Artist Implant a Net Art RFID Chip Into His Hand
Artist Implant a Net Art RFID Chip Into His Hand

To implant the chip, the visual artist turned to a body modification specialist in Brooklyn. The procedure involved an incision in the fleshy part between the thumb and the index finger using a 0.75 inch blade

Artist Implant a Net Art RFID Chip Into His Hand

This chip stores 1KB of data and is readable by compatible phones, tablets, card readers and the Arduino microcontroller

In May, Motorola announced it was looking at alternatives to traditional passwords in a bid to make logging into online sites, or accessing mobile phones, more secure.

Among the ideas discussed at the D11 conference in California were electronic tattoos and authentication pills that people swallow.

The tattoos, developed by Massachusetts-based engineering firm MC10, contain flexible electronic circuits that are attached to the wearer's skin using a rubber stamp.

Motorola claims that the circuits, which also contain antennae and built-in sensors, could be adapted to work with mobile phones and tablets.

The mobile devices could then be used to confirm the owner's identity and log them in to accounts automatically.

Mr Antonellis said that as a form of micro-curation, the artwork will be rotated out to showcase new artists and artworks on a regular basis.

He added that future artworks may come in various file formats such as GIFs, JPGs, MIDI music, or ASCII art.

Mr Antonellis isn’t the first to explore future interactions between technology and our bodies in this way.

Last month ‘bodyhacker, Rich Lee, from Nevada did away with his headphones by having small magnets implanted directly into his ears.

He embedded small magnets into his tragus – a small piece of cartilage just outside the ear – and built a coil to be worn around his neck.

Mr Lee claimed that this created a magnetic field that causes the implant to vibrate and make a sound.

Mr Lee is now considering connecting the device to a Geiger counter so that he can ‘experience the world of radiation’.  DailyMail