The Man who Sold his Body to the Art World Inspires Oscar Nominated Movie

By Thea Reddington

‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’ was nominated for an Oscar at the 93rd annual Academy Awards this week and took inspiration from the real-life story of Tim Steiner who Belgian artist Wim Delvoye made into a piece of art. The Tunisian movie was inspired by the tattoo titled, Tim, which Delvoye created on Tim Steiner’s back, making him into a piece of art that could be sold and exhibited. Tim was sold to German art collector Rik Reinking in 2008 for £130,00. Whilst a third of the money went to Tim himself, the deal meant that he not only had to sit still and silent in museums for hours on end, which he has now been doing for over 10 years, but more shockingly, when he dies his back will be skinned, framed, and exhibited in Reinking’s collection.

Tim at the Louvre, 2012. Image courtesy of Wim Delvoye. 

This radical form of artistic production is not new for Wim Delvoye who has caught media attention over the years with his provocative artworks, most notably when he controversially tattooed pigs. Whilst the idea of being skinned after death and then exhibited seems morbid to some, Steiner, an ex-tattooist himself, simply states, ‘gruesome is relative,’ matter-of-factly saying in an interview, ‘my skin belongs to Rik Reinking now.’ However, it is important to note that this is not an entirely new concept, the practice can be found throughout Japanese history where it was common to skin individuals who had elaborate tattoos to extend the tattoos' artistic life after the death of their owner. Delvoye’s art also attempts to draw attention to the art of tattooing which he believes is a largely ignored practice by the world of high art. The artwork itself depicts a Madonna, crowned by light rays and a Mexican skull, at the base are two Chinese-style koi fish being ridden by children. Delvoye’s signature also adorns Steiner’s back.

Wim Delvoye, Tim, 2007. Image courtesy of Wim Delvoye. 

The nominated movie takes an artistic license with the story and turns Tim Steiner into Sam Ali, a Syrian refugee who, with the promise of a visa, becomes a human canvas. It intends to touch upon the issues of the refugee crisis and the objectification of human beings but also critiques the hierarchies within the art world and its ability to ‘other’ certain peoples. However, it still begs the question, what makes this tattoo more museum-worthy than every other tattoo? Tim Steiner unsatisfyingly states that if Delvoye’s name was not attached to it, it would have ‘no artistic relevance.’ Yet he does provide some reasoning, explaining that the work explores the concept of the living canvas, saying it is interesting because it will change over time, ‘I can get fat, scarred, burned, anything,’ and the work will show the process of living.

Still of Sam Ali (Yahya Mahayni) in The Man Who Sold His Skin. Image courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn/Bac Films. 

Bibliography

Low, Harry. ‘The man who sold his back to an art dealer,’ BBC News, February 1, 2017. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38601603.

Cascone, Sarah. ‘Oscar Nominee ‘The Man Who Sold His Skin Is Based on a Real Work of Art by Belgian Provocateur Wim Delvoye,’ Artnet News, April 23, 2021. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/oscar-nominee-the-man-who-sold-his-skin-1961334.