Yuxin Chen (Viki)

"Tipping Point"

Section MS9, Daryan Knoblauch

Keywords: design, technology, network

Critical Infrastructure has always been about building connections through integrated networks that link people. This value of connectivity that we hold in society reflects the fact that an act of an individual is sufficient to bring the operation of an entire region to a halt. The themes of Failure, Impossibility and Unknown are encompassed in the tensegrity structure of the installation, constituted of electrical cable ducts that built on the establish design parameter. The intangible interconnectedness is captured in the way the form is threaded and attached together, held by tension into an integrity, referencing the reciprocal relationship of individuals and public infrastructure. The theme of interdependency is further addressed through my additional medium of a series of cutting instruments, where the idea of Failure is accentuated. Audiences are invited to interact with the sculpture by adopting the unconventional tools to cut the ‘invisible’ connections, representing the disruptive influence of individual actions. The intentionally dull cutting devices reflect the unpredictable nature of how one’s actions may not always result in immediate or decisive consequences. The performative act of collapse, triggered by the detachment of a single link aims to creates a dramatic effect that mirrors how minor disruptions in interconnected systems can lead to larger, more significant impacts, underscoring the fragility and vulnerability inherent in the infrastructures we rely on.