Catherine Lan

Rest Inside Me (Shelter), 2016

Arduino, breadboard, faux fur, metal chain, plastic chair, LED light, speakers

Fur chair: approx. 48 x 48 inches, chain 40 to 80 inches (dimensions variable).

 

Rest Inside Me, a hanging sculptural installation of a concave egg-shaped chair, was designed for audience interaction by touching it as well as sitting, meditating, and relaxing inside it. The furry chair intends to awaken the audience’s visual and haptic senses through the projection of saturated colors; RGBW moving lights are activated once the audience walks close to them and original remix music is played once they sit inside. Inspired by Kitsch, popular culture, and the seductive materialistic world of urban life, the work conveys the idea of protection, the warmth and shape of a womb, and a remix of recorded soft whispers by the artist, a baby crying, and a piano playing, followed by relaxing and droning music. The sculpture initiates interaction with viewers that induces them to fuse with it. The furry material invites them to return to the womb, a symbol of rebirth. When installed outdoors, the work can serve as a shelter for the homeless or any passer-by who simply needs a break from this chaotic world.

Exhibition

El Museo de Los Sures, Brooklyn, New York, NY, USA 2017

Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA 2016