Body modification in performance art: Roberto Cuoghi

Italian artist Roberto Cuoghi burst onto the scene with a now-legendary 1998 "life-share" performance, in which he attempted to transform himself, for all intents and purposes, into his own father, swelling to more than 300 pounds, dying his hair white, and growing a beard. Essentially, Cuoghi voluntarily lived in the body of the much older, ailing man for several years, until his father passed away. The long-lasting performance had extreme health effects, and even required surgery to return the artist to his younger self -- a bit like body modification art in reverse.