Compression Cradle by Lucy McRae – Ars Electronica 2020, Interactive+, Honorary Mentions
Key words – Touch, empathy, human condition
Theme/issue – “A Crisis of touch”
Summary – Compression Cradle is a machine that affectionately squeezes the body with a sequence of aerated volumes that hold you tight – in an attempt to prepare the self for a future that assumes a lack of human touch. It is an ongoing research project investigating the human losses and gains of touch. The project’s aim is to gather data at future exhibitions to form the premise for a new work and symposium that discuss research and new points of view on the future of touch, empathy, and the human condition. With a set of deeply ingrained beliefs and ethics, all of Lucy McRae’s projects, including the Compression Cradle, are committed to a single objective: the preservation of humanity.
