project overview

The appearance of an object should convey its character and how it actually functions. The appearance of consumer electronics today bears no relation to their functionality. 'Like a sweet sugar coating, these goods are covered with a stylish shell.' Concerned by this disparity between their 'inner truth' and the lie that is their appearance, I created a series of drawings in which he reveals the hidden life of items like the iPhone. On the other hand, I also came up with a first attempt at a different machine in which the skin revels something of mysteries contained within: a contemporary take on the Wunderkammer, or cabinet of curiosities, popular during the Enlightenment. A series of mysterious artifacts are displayed inside this bizarre contraption. When switched on, wooden balls attached to a series of rods squeak into motion inside the machine, pummelling the outer canvas into alienesque lumps and bumps.

The project Re:Machine evokes the old-fashioned mythology and wonder surrounding the seemingly unexplainable. My project is conceived as a visual metaphor for the increasing complexity of the machines around us, and our lack of insight into their high-tech workings. The more complex machines become, the greater our ignorance and amazement at what horrors or marvels might lurk within. By re-imagining the appearance of the machine, questioning what we otherwise take for granted.