Abstract
This article explores the contemporary phenomenon of living statue performance. It addresses the attributes of this work as a mode of disciplined physical presentation; a cipher for acting; and an instance of pure watchability. I discuss examples of statue performers in Sao Paolo's Parque Ibirapuera, to examine ways in which living statues present personae, interact with spectators and create situations of affect. I note some historical instances of statue performance and their taste for the uncanny. In addressing the recent ubiquity of the form, I argue that today's living statues can be seen as characteristically posthuman and suggest that their tropes of presentation are consistent with other kinds of performance within digital culture. © 2013 Intellect Ltd Article.