Emancipating Objects by Serge Gruson

In our everyday life, we encounter many objects that do not enter our consciousness. These objects are so much part of the space they are living in, that they become insignificant. Of these objects, I am interested in the artefacts that have had some functionality, or have the appearance of having had some functionality. What this functionality is might be unclear. I call these objects/artefacts “orphans” referring to their lack of relationality to the rest of the space, or the rest of the activities and people in it. By collecting these orphans, analyzing their character, and designing encounters with them, I hope to create more empathy for these objects. I believe this will make the spectator more aware of other orphans that they encounter in their everyday life, and enjoy their presence.

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Heating panel, Pastoe, Found

I am a panel to control the heating. Connected to me is a thermostat. I enable you to twist my knob. Would you twist it? Am I yours to control? The thermostat reveals that the world can either be hot or cold. The existence of a heating system is implied by my existence. My wires imply that electricity exists and can be controlled. I am made of plastic and metal. You can choose between three settings: off, one and two. I constrain you by only giving you these options. My thermostat reveals that temperature is a continuous scale, the hottest it can be is 30 degrees.

You become a heat controller.

Plastic

Metal

Heat

Electricity

Temperature

Someone that has influence

Influence

The Light of a Toaster

Click here to become a nail.

Wait till somebody picks you up.

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Decayed hole in stone. Filled with metal.

Space that was filled

I am created by destruction. I am defined by my emptiness. Sometimes I collect dust, the more I collect, the less I exist.

By researching history of initial object, a second object from its world emerged. It gives the initial object new meaning; historically, practically and politically.

I am toasting. Do you hear the buzzing? Do you feel the heat? I enable you to see the heat. For just 2 and a half minutes. During this time, the world becomes a place in which toasting happens. Whenever you start me, it starts. Two and a half minutes in which I exist. Suddenly, you have two and a half minutes for which you have to find a purpose. What do you do with this time? This frame of time would not exist without starting me. Do you just wait? While I toast?