Vapour Products℠_Solar Plexus Pressure Belt™蒸汽件℠_太阳神经丛压力背带™

3ge3 project 

2020.10.23 - 2020.11.13

Artist: Saemundur Thor Helgason

Curator: Milia Xin BI

 

Fashion Design: Agata Mickiewicz

Graphic Design: Gabríel Markan

Production: Félag Borgara (Fellowship of Citizen)

 

Vapour Products℠_Solar Plexus Pressure Belt™, a solo exhibition by the Icelandic artist Saemundur Thor Helgason, transforms the 3ge3 project space into a new product launch event, featuring an anxiety reducing fashion item in different sizes, a short film entitled WORKING DEAD,  and an accompanying artist book featuring written contributions from Sophie Hoyle, Nick Srnicek and Milia Xin BI.

Advances in information technology encourage faster speeds, wider radiation areas, and increasingly more precise and denser links, putting people in a new desire-controlled system. The rapid turnover of capital has brought about the acceleration of production time, and the rapid exchange and consumption are combined to make people forget their regrets, as well as their commitments to fulfil promises. The constant creation and elimination of consumer products make people dissatisfied with the existing products because there are always newer and better products appearing. As a result, to love the new and loathe the old becomes the norm. People are increasingly unable to rest on the status quo, which leads to multi-contradictious living conditions, and persistent excitement and anxiety.

Periodic obsolescence raises the need for replacement and enhancement. Before people have time to become familiar with a product, it is already on the verge of obsolescence. Meanwhile, the news of releasing new products is occupying people's limited attention and soon budget. But to what extent has such a quickly updated product fulfilled its promise? And has it had a breakthrough in content, function and aesthetics? Or is this just a statement of an overwhelming victory? Is there a need to come up with an alternative solution rather than providing an effective short-term dominance? We may need long-term care and way of thinking, combining product innovation with individual demands, instead of basing on profit margins or seeking to monopolize the industry. Vapour Products℠ curatorial project was born from such thinking. Incorporating the creative work of artists, we are committed to developing products that raise questions. The name Vapour Products℠ is inspired by the hybrid word “vapourware”, which refers to an official launch of a mythical software product and exaggerated promises to attract investment funds, but these are products that have never been manufactured in reality. The Vapour Products℠ series uses a combination of works, exhibitions and publications, proposing alternative life concepts and critical solution practices and attempts to provide hypothetical plans for in-depth cooperation between enterprises, brands, and white cubes.

As the first research and development product for Vapour Products℠ curatorial project, Solar Plexus Pressure Belt™, developed by artist Saemundur Thor Helgason, responds to how to self-manage anxiety and frustration caused by financial insecurities. The second-generation product (G2), made in collaboration with fashion designer Agata Mickiewicz and graphic designer Gabríel Markan, uses ergonomic design and deep-touch pressure technology (DTP) to stimulate the solar plexus without using pharmaceutical medications  – the solar plexus, a complex of ganglia and radiating nerves of the sympathetic system at the pit of the stomach is stimulated to alleviating anxiety. The launch and display of the product are located in the first offline experience space of the art life brand, the 3ge3 project. Solar Plexus Pressures Belt™ can be worn or purchased to continue to stimulate audience participation and expansive discussions. The Solar Plexus Pressure Belt™ is produced by Félag Borgara (Fellowship of Citizen), an interest group lobbying for Universal Basic Income in Iceland.   

3ge3 project

2020.10.23 – 2020.11.13

 

艺术家:Saeumundur Thor Helgason

策展人:毕昕

地点:3ge3 project,乌鲁木齐中路243-1

 

时装设计:Agata Mickiewicz

平面设计:Gabríel Markan

制作:Félag Borgara (Fellowship of Citizen)

 

冰岛艺术家Saemundur Thor Helgason个展“蒸汽件℠_太阳神经丛压力背带™”将3ge3 project店铺空间转换为产品发布会现场,呈现解压时尚装备、艺术家新创作短片《劳尸》,以及由Sophie Hoyle、Nick Srnicek以及毕昕撰写的展览同名艺术家书。

信息技术的进步鼓励更快的速度,更广的辐射面积,愈发精确、密集的链接点,将人们安置在一个新的欲望控制系统中。资本快速的周转随之带来了生产时间的加速,快速的交换与消费加以配合,让人们忘记了遗憾,也忘记了验证承诺的兑现。消费品频繁地创造与淘汰使人们不满足于现有的产品,总是有更新、更好的产品出现。从而喜新厌旧成为常态;人们愈发无法安于现状,从而带来了多重矛盾的生存状态与持久性的兴奋与焦虑。

定期的淘汰提出了对替代和增强的需求。人们还没来得及熟悉一种产品,它便已经站在了过时的边缘,新产品的发布蠢蠢欲动,占据着人们有限的注意力与预算。然而如此快速更新的产品在多大程度上履行了其承诺?并推进了内容、性能与审美的突破?或者,这只是述行式压倒性的胜利?是否需要提出一种替代的解决方式,而不是提供一种短期有效的支配?我们也许需要一种长期的关怀与思考,将产品创新的动力与个体化诉求结合,而不是以利润率或寻求行业垄断为出发点。蒸汽件℠策展项目便诞生于这样的思考之上,与艺术家的创造工作相结合,致力于开发提出问题的产品。蒸汽件℠一词汇受启发于雾件(Vapourware ,蒸汽vapour与软件ware) 这一混合词,指公司推出一系列神话软件产品及一系列夸张的承诺,目的在于吸引投资资金却从未在现实中得以实现。蒸汽件℠系列项目采用作品、展览与出版物相结合的方式,提出替代性的生活概念,批判性的解决实践,并尝试为企业、品牌、白盒子之间的深入合作提供假设性的方案。

作为蒸汽件℠策展项目的首个研发产品,太阳神经丛压力背带™ (Solar Plexus Pressures Belt™) 由艺术家Saemundur Thor Helgason研制,回应了如何以自我管理的方式解决因经济不安全感而导致的焦虑和沮丧。第二代产品 (G2) 与时装设计师Agata Mickiewicz以及平面设计师Gabríel Markan合作,采用了人体工程学曲线设计,以及深触疗法 (DTP) 技术,在不使用药物的情况下,通过刺激太阳神经丛——位于腹腔动脉区域中的神经细胞和支持组织的密集簇——而缓解焦虑情绪。产品的发布和展示设于艺术生活品牌3ge3 project的首个线下体验空间,通过可被试穿、可被购买的方式,持续刺激观众的参与及延展性讨论。太阳神经丛压力背带™由Félag Borgara(一个冰岛基本收入游说的倡议团体)出品。