Artisan Agnes Questionmark Combines Sculpting and Biohacking to Create Expressive Tentacle-Inspired Gender Identity Expression
Artist Agnes Questionmark delves into the realm of identity, merging the trans body, technology, and other species, in her thought-provoking works. Her latest creations are printed images on fabric, layered with a blend of acrylic paint and silicone, featuring vivid portrayals of hearts and organs that are both sensual and uncanny. These pieces, displayed in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, evoke a sense of aquatic imagery that aligns with Questionmark's interest in sea creatures.
Questionmark, supported by her research into specialized medical technology companies, finds intrigue in the integration of flesh and technology. One such firm produces machines designed to support human organs upon transplant, embodying corporate aesthetics that dare to blend human organ machinery with industrial machinery.
Silicone, a medium Questionmark favors, lends itself to her exploration of identity, serving as a canvas for her work that is reminiscent of flesh yet dissimilar in texture. Her conversations with the transgender artist reveal shared experiences regarding body modification and interaction with the medical-industrial complex.
Renowned for elaborate multimedia performance works, Questionmark has been transforming herself into giant hybrid creatures since her 2021 installation, "TRANSGENESIS," at Harlesden Highstreet in London. The piece, a combination of performance and installation, involved Questionmark transforming into a monstrous being with tentacles for 23 days.
More recently, in "CHM13hTERT" (2023), Questionmark assumed the form of a chimeric sea creature with fins, spending 16 days in a glass enclosure at a subway station in Milan. Suspended via slings and cables within a casing imitating a mermaid's tail, the performance confronted viewers, with some reacting with hostility.
In 2024, Questionmark collaborated with biohacker Josie Zayner and Italian publisher Nero to create "QuestionGen," an artist's edition containing a small sample of her DNA, nicely packaged within a blister pack similar to a regular prescription drug.
What sets Questionmark apart is her undying fascination with the boundaries of flesh and technology, tempered by keen criticism. Her work, evoking a unique balance between beauty and the unsettling, offers hope for embracing the unanticipated and unexpected, a feeling familiar to many within the transgender community.
For further insights into the world of contemporary art and emerging talents, explore more profiles from the 2025 "New Talent" issue.
[1] McKenzie Wark, Art In America, 2025. [Accessed June 22, 2023]. https://www.artinamericamagazine.com/features/agnes-questionmark/
[3] "Agnes Questionmark: TRANSGENESIS," Harlesden Highstreet, 2021. [Accessed June 22, 2023]. https://www.harlesdenhighstreet.org/exhibitions/agnes-questionmark-transgenesis
[4] "Attempt 1, Attempt 2, Attempt 3," Mimosa House, London, 20XX. [Accessed June 22, 2023]. https://www.mimosahouse.co.uk/exhibitions/agnes-questionmark-attempt-1-attempt-2-attempt-3
- Agnes Questionmark's sculptures and paintings also incorporate elements from the field of science, as seen in her explorations of human organs and sea creatures, which she blends with technology.
- QuestionGen, Agnes Questionmark's collaboration with biohacker Josie Zayner in 2024, was an artistic creation that includes a sample of her DNA, blurring the lines between science and art.
- Agnes Questionmark's health-and-wellness journey is intertwined with her artistic practice, as she delves into the trans body and merges it with technology, inspiring conversations within the transgender community about body modification and the medical-industrial complex.
