Thanks: Silvia Benedito
Year: 2015
Site: 7 Sumner Rd, Cambridge, MA

Cube

The ‘Cube’ is a reflection on the relationship that we have with virtual social networks like facebook, twitter, linkedin etc. It uses cigarettes as a metaphor for the seduction of social media. Cigarettes help us socialize and belong to certain groups. Moreover, they are addictive and progressively draw us into a craving for more. The way they affect us is very slow and the impact is felt only after several years of smoking. In a similar vein, once we hook onto a social network, it is very difficult to stay away from it. There is a recurrent need to peer into other people’s lives and a longing for forms of social acknowledgement. The impact of social media on our psychological well-being is so subtle that we don’t realize the consequences of our actions in the short-term.

The artifact uses the aesthetics of the ‘new’ in its form and construction. It evokes associations with the world of scientific and technological fantasy. A stream of mist emanates from a small orifice accompanied by the smell of tobacco. This scent is seductive and lures us into the world hidden within the box.