Democratic Pressure

Interactive installation - 5 meter wooden guard tower, 2 meter diameter balloon, 75 UV and coloured light bulbs, fake grass, laser-cut acrylic, ARDUINO sound sensor, microphone, gas mask.

Platoon Kunsthalle, Seoul, Korea (2012).

Concept and Design : The Bite Back Movement.

Technology collaboration : Jaechang Shim.

VJ : Dizi / DJ Sarovia.

The military precision of K-pop dancing, and surgical perfection of the South Korean image led artist Seung youn Lee and I to question the types of freedom and pressures experienced in a country known to have one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Our tongue-in-cheek installation transformed Platoon Kunsthalle Gallery into a night club with an interactive karaoke guard tower and a North Korean style VJ set.

We built the tower to be a replica of the Korean Government’s “Blue House” guard towers in Seoul. They are sky blue and incredibly plastic looking, making the guard inside look like a kind of children’s toy in packaging. Suspended next to this is a gigantic moon containing 75 neon lights. As you ascend the tower you can sing your favourite K-pop karaoke into a hanging gas mask and ARDUINO sensors react to your voice and control the lighting of the whole building.

The steps of the tower and most of the gallery floor were covered in fake grass. Visitors were invited to lay on the plastic grass under the plastic moon and watch their “Star controllers” perform for them. It’s democratic, anyone can try - but once in the lime light, everyone is controlled by your voice.

“Come and be our STAR CONTROLLER! Everyone has a unique energy, movement and voice. Come and talk, shout, watch, dance, climb, and see how your body can change our installation. DEMOCRATIC PRESSURE will be a 4-day exhibition, climaxing in a spectacular artist club-night. all eligible citizens will have an equal chance to scale the 5-METER TOWER and take control and be controlled. Using voice recognition and pulse sensor technology, the actions of an individual will change lighting to dramatic effect.“