Phubbing
Survivor
After the daily mealtime, the two people sitting face to face no longer talk but focus on their mobile phones. This phenomenon is happening every day, people miss the opportunity to interact with each other. The overuse of mobile phones not only lost the chance to talk but also cause neck problems. Thus, I positioned this project in the "phubbing assistive device”. However, phubbing limits the interaction between the two, just like shackles, so I decided to make an installation which can force two people to interact with each other. The external structure is connected by two Cangues with an inflator on each side. The inflatable ring will press the neck of the person and make him/her feels uncomfortable, so they must put down their phone with both hands and press the button to flat the ring. At the same time, one side which presses the button down will be flatting and another side will start to inflate. These two people must continue to put down their mobile phones to survive. The name of this work is Phubbing auxiliary device, but actually, it is a torture tool which also symbolizes the behavior of them, full of irony. I hope that people can reflect on this phenomenon through this device and cherish the good times on the table.
Cangue (/kæŋ/)
is a device that was used for public humiliation and corporal punishment in China and some other parts of East Asia and Southeast Asia until the early years of the twentieth century. It was also occasionally used for or during torture. Because it restricted a person's movements, it was common for people wearing cangues to starve to death as they were unable to feed themselves.