The Curious Case of a Movie Trailer.

I am lying in complete darkness with only the hum of AC unit for company and a foreign language song playing in my head over and over again. I have been listening to it ever since I first heard it on the trailer of "The Man Who Sold His Skin". And my mind's whirling with questions ever since. Never had a trailer been so thought provoking. I can't stop thinking about it. The trailer and the story behind it.

"The Man Who Sold His Skin" is an Oscar nominee in International Feature Film category for the year 2021. Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, it depicts an unusual story based on an even more bizarre real life story. True that reality is more weird than any fiction. The first thing that drew me to the movie was its unique title. After watching the trailer I was hooked. Hooked to the music and the story. The first thought that crossed my mind was 'Man! The possibilities of plots and plot twists is infinite in this world'. Everyone has stories within them, not just one but innumerable, with twists one can't even imagine to fathom.

The trailer led me to Tim, the real-life piece of art who is the inspiration behind this story. Reading about him, I found out that Tim Steiner was approached by Wim Delvoye to be the real life canvas for his art project. Since 2006, over the period of two years, Wim Delvoye dedicated 40 hours to make the tattoo on the back of Tim Steiner, which was eventually sold to a German art collector, Rik Reinking, who bid a staggering £150000 for it, part of which went to Tim himself. And now Tim's back is owned by Rik Reinking. Literally! As per contract, Tim is required to exhibit the art on his back in museums and galleries around the world throughout his life. At the end of which, when he keels over and passes away, his back will be skinned to be framed and hung in Reinking's private art collection. "My back now belongs to Reinking", says Tim. Rightfully so.

I have so many questions! Some are quite banal and common like, can he go pee? Can he take bathroom breaks? Are there any conditions in his contract that require him to stay certain weight? Does he have to take extra precautions with his skin and body? Does he have any other job apart from this? Some are not so trivial and I would like to know the answers to them, like, what if he regrets it a few years down the lane? He can't just quit this job if he wishes to, can he? If he wishes to, can the person who owns this art drag him to court? Will he?

To answer a few: Yes, he does get bathroom breaks obviously. For every hour he sits on a plank in a museum, Tim gets a 15 minutes break to stand and stretch up a bit. He doesn't read or scroll his mobile while on the job as he is required to sit straight backed and still. He listens to heavy metal music to keep himself alert and awake during his work, which normally begins at 10 in the morning till 4.30 PM in the evening. As much as I could find, he doesn't hold any other job besides this one. As to whether he needs to maintain certain fitness standards, or whether he is married, I couldn't find much detail. So why does the curious case of one Tim intrigues me so much?

In some sense his job is similar to a nudists', who sit agonizingly still in one position for hours, for artists and painters and earn their livelihood in the same way. When the brushes are kept away the nudist just gets up, dons his clothes and ceases to be his job i. e. a piece of reference for artists. But for Tim, now the art defines him for the rest of his life. No matter where he goes and what he becomes professionally or personally, he'll be first and foremost, "Tim (2006)", the piece of art by Wim Delvoye. In Tim's words, he is just a temporary frame for the art on his back. But it is the easiest and the most difficult job at the same time. It must require a certain amount of patience and calm to sit still facing a wall for 6 hours a day and earn your living doing it. In his own words he has been through heaven and hell at the same time. Tim also continued to sit in Mona, the art museum in Australia during the lockdown period of last year when the museum was closed for visitors but was virtually kept open so one can visit and ogle at the art pieces at Mona, including Tim, from the comfort of one's own home.

Does the art dealer own him? Yes, ofc! At what point this reaches the line of unacceptable and illegal? Is this a modern day slavery? Or prostitution? Or both? Or none! He is free to go anywhere, he has a fixed time of work like everyone else. It's just that when the workplace closes he carries the work with him. Or does he? I mean he isn't on display anymore. But it is one job for his entire life. No role change, no promotions, no transfers...wait he does get displayed in art galleries around the world so his job is transferrable. So why does it baffles me so much? If you peel it away (pun not intended) it has all the aspects of any mundane regular job. Amost all. I mean I won't be skinned at the end of my life and promptly displayed in some case roaming this Earth for eternity. But still. And Tim too considers it as one, a mundane job.

So is he really 'free' free? Or does he feel a constant sword just dangling above his head? An itch he can't get rid off? Or it's just all...nothing...that people are attaching too much meaning to it while at the end it's just...a tat on the back and a guy willing to sit still for six hours a day in a gallery, to be open to ogled at, admired or ridiculed at. And then by the end of the day he just shrugs off the burden of the artwork, albeit he can't shrug off the art, and just walks away.

Maybe it's the skinning part in the end that makes this subject such a controversy. The realization that your back, a part of your existence literally belongs to someone else. That that owner just might be bidding his time until you fall dead and he can finally collect and possess what he owned and was owed for so long. It must be a sinking feeling. But if only one gave it too much thought. And at the end it's only skin. Tim himself is not bothered with that aspect of his contract. In fact he is at friendly terms with his...."owner", Rik Reinking. Also people willingly donate their bodies for the betterment of science. They know what will happen to their bodies once they cease to exist. To be scalped, prodded, cut, stitched, broken, destroyed in every humanly way possible. I once read a book on cadavers and learnt how so many industries, including medical, automobile, forensics to name a few, benefit from studying cadavers. So a person contributes for the betterment of humanity even after death. In similar way, Tim would serve the humanity by making his contribution as an unique art piece to the art world. It's the 'owning' part, the 'bidding' and 'skinning' part that sets Tim apart.

What about when he turns old and wrinkly? Develops arthritis and doesn't enjoy the sound of heavy metal in his ear for a good 6 hours a day. Gets tired of staring at a wall. Wants to retire, settle at one place, have a family and not live off a rucksack the way he presently does. Or wants to work in a place with living colleagues and not dead pan art installations. This remains to be seen, because as of now Tim is happy and satisfied with his job and life.

"The Man Who Sold His Skin" has opened flood gates for discussions and debates with just its trailer. As for Tim, I just want him to wake up one day and decide to get rid of the tat with laser surgery. Ooh! The possibilities of plots and plot twists! :) But until then I will be eagerly waiting for this gem to hit the OTT platforms.

Check out the trailer at https://youtu.be/cY4THtbaklE

The song is Acid Arab Stil. Check it out at https://youtu.be/kVyTLx2e_tQ