I have already written about QR code tattoos before on this blog, so again, I will keep this brief. The video above shows the latest QR code tattoo to gain public attention, this time for generating random .gifs, tweets, and videos.  I find these tattoos fascinating because of the way the flesh is made to transmit digital information (“LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH?!”), in essence augmenting the human body with digitally-encoded information (or are we augmenting the digital with the corporeal?). But many have found these trends disheartening (D’Costa 2012), in part because of the permanence of such body markings.

In a culture that is fast approaching lightspeed (both technologically and culturally), many see the permanence afforded by tattoos and other body modifications as attractive. For many enthusiasts, tattoos have become a source of stability in the postmodern era, a way for individuals to “ground” their identities in an era of whirlwind change (Oksanen and Turtiainen 2005; Sweetman 1999).

But whereas traditionally tattoos have had relatively stable meanings, the tattoo displayed above resists such trends, in part because of the ephemeral nature of the content it displays (“random” implies that the chances of you reaching the same link twice are slim). In this sense, it represents the ultimate in semiotic bricolage (Hewer 2004). It deliberately resists interpretation until the tattoo is scanned. But this doesn’t mean the tattoo is “empty” of meaning because tattoos themselves are pregnant with meaning.

Bosch’s QR code tattoo serves as a sign in the traditional sense in that it clearly sends a message to others: “I am not a biker. This is not an ordinary tattoo.” Or, alternatively, “I am a techie. This tattoo represents my fascination with technology.” In Bosch’s case he is a marketing director specializing in the blurring of the digital and the material (or what we might like to call it on this blog, “augmented marketing”). His tattoo encapsulates this identity.

Fred Bosch's new QR code tattoo generates random content from the web each time you scan it.

So increasing numbers of people (especially youth) are turning to the needle to say something about themselves, confirming that tattoos are in fact a “social skin” wrapped in meaning (Schildkrout 2004; Turner 1980), located at the interstices of self and society.

As I have written before , tattoos are more than anti-social statements of difference (Strohecker 2010). They are also “pro-social” statements that connect the individual to the larger group. In the words of D’Costa (2012):

Tattoos aren’t necessarily a way to break from the social order—as has been the fear—but can be a way to establish a deeper connection to a social group, as they have been used elsewhere historically. They are a way of of publicly sharing one’s interests, and the artistic quality of tattoos today does much to dispel the notion that they are ugly, antisocial tools. That is not to say that some people don’t get tattoos to be different, but this act of public display (even if it is only a representative display typically covered by an article of clothing) is an act of sharing an element of self and creating a personal brand. Individuals with multiple tattoos are engaged in creating a rich symbology weaving together meaning and experience utterly unique to them that may grant them access to multiple social groups.

In an earlier post I posed the question as to whether or not QR code tattoos may emerge as a form of self branding. That is, will individuals begin tattooing QR codes onto their bodies rather than the standard Kanji symbols representing standard tropes of love, strength, and honor? It seems that QR codes would serve as a powerful symbolic identifier, one that is uniquely individualistic (there is no threat of “misreading” the tattoo when it links directly to one’s Facebook or MySpace account) and lends itself to personal branding: The corporeal self linked directly to the digital self.

Perhaps the reason why so many see QR code tattoos as disheartening lies in the perceived ephemerality of technology. Many aren’t willing to take the plunge and get tattooed with an image that may just be a passing fad. And even more fear that tattooing is a passing fad in and of itself. But alas, only time will tell. For those of us who decide the risk is worth the cost, there will always be new identifiers and technologies to inscribe into our flesh. And for many of us, this is how we make ourselves known. Hear our voice: LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH!