Trans-Species Man Has Fin Implants To His Head
A young Spanish man who has said that he identifies as a ‘trans-species’ after having two “fins” implanted in his skull to experience new senses.
Manel Munoz, known artistically as Manel De Aguas, defines being ‘trans-species’ as “not identifying 100 per cent with human identity”.
He told Real Press: “That transformation has come from the experience of adding a new cybernetic organ to my body inspired by the fins of fish.”
The 24-year-old Catalan photographer and music producer designed the two 500-gram (17.6-oz) silicone “fins” himself.
(@maneldeaguas/Real Press)
He travelled to Japan earlier this to get the partially removable fins, which are connected to a microchip, surgically attached to his temporal bones.
He told Real Press: “They allow me to ‘listen’ to the humidity, the temperature and the pressure, so when it is very humid, I hear bubbles in my head. I feel as if I’m underwater.
“Depending on the temperature, the tone changes, and the bubbles are deeper or higher-pitched. If the pressure changes, I hear this sound louder or quieter.”
De Aguas explained to Real Press that he “hears” the weather through sound vibrations that travel through the fins to his bones.
However, he downplays the idea that he can predict the weather, telling Real Press: “At some point, I’ve been able to tell that the weather’s going to change because I hear how the pressure changes.”
But he insisted that it was “more of an extrasensory, artistic and more poetic experience of the weather”.
De Aguas co-founded the Barcelona-based ‘Transpecies Society’ in 2017, which now has some 300 members.
Its mission is to “give voice to trans-species identities, raise awareness on issues trans-species face, advocate for the freedom of self-design and offer the development of new senses and organs.”
De Aguas told Real Press: “I’ve been lucky that I’ve received support from my friends and my family.
“In the street, I get looks, laughs and some jokes from people who don’t know me. But I also receive beautiful smiles that make my day.”
De Aguas is currently working on an EP, “in which I explain my trans-species experience through electronic music and voice.”
He is also working on developing new fins, as the current ones “weigh a lot. They’re not yet comfortable. The intention is to continue evolving the fins, to make them smaller and lighter.”