The Monotony of Space Enhancement
2016
3 channel moving image installation, 21:50 min loop. Photography - Shih Yao Chen
I walk slowly down the empty corridor toward the education department. I switch on all the lights, check the blubs, check the windows, check the blinds, then switch on the computer. I enter my name and password, log onto YouTube and play The Robots by Kraftwerk. As the crisp electronic sounds from 1978 resonate throughout the boring beige room I sign my name on the sheet on the wall before heading to the next room to do the exact same thing.
This is the beginning of my daily shift, a repetitive shift, a shift where I work alone, doing the same things, in the same rooms, every evening. I feel like a robot, a machine programed to do repetitive tasks. No company, no socialization, just an iPad to report any faults via the internet. I find myself working in a lonely and monotonous job as a Space Enhancement Officer, a very flashy name for a very boring job. Even though there is a selection of rooms and spaces on my route, I can’t help but feel somewhat claustrophobic in this situation.
This is the beginning of my daily shift, a repetitive shift, a shift where I work alone, doing the same things, in the same rooms, every evening. I feel like a robot, a machine programed to do repetitive tasks. No company, no socialization, just an iPad to report any faults via the internet. I find myself working in a lonely and monotonous job as a Space Enhancement Officer, a very flashy name for a very boring job. Even though there is a selection of rooms and spaces on my route, I can’t help but feel somewhat claustrophobic in this situation.
(5 min excerpt)