Jolijn explores the relationship between people and machines
Every day we press buttons. On our phones, laptops and household appliances. Most of the time, we don't stop to think about what happens next. For Jolijn Bos, a graduating Graphic Design student at ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design Zwolle, that everyday habit became the starting point for her graduation project.
'I want to overwhelm people. You don't know what's going to happen, and suddenly you see everything that's normally hidden inside the machine.'
Opening the black box
With her installation, Jolijn reveals what happens when you press a button. Technology often feels like a closed black box, but her work exposes the hidden processes behind it. A single press sets off a chain reaction that visitors cannot predict. The overload of movement, sound and information is entirely intentional.
Convenience comes at a cost
Rather than asking a technical question, Jolijn raises a human one. Technology makes everyday life easier, but it also encourages us to hand over more and more decisions.
'When you press a button and the machine does it for you, you can end up removing yourself from the process. You give up a degree of autonomy. Thinking for yourself, choosing for yourself, acting for yourself.'
Jolijn isn't condemning that development. What fascinates her is why we are so drawn to it.
'Why do we want that so badly? And what happens if we take that action back into our own hands? If we don't just operate machines, but start experiencing things again
