2018

Homo Deus

90x 50x110 cm: Steel, paper maché, polyurethan, silicon tubes, electronics



Aren’t we developing into a society of achievers and over-achievers? The direction moves towards a meritocracy. Working is becoming the most important part of our lives. This transformation leads from the necessity of survival into forms of self-expression.

Homo Deus –milk and honey– is an arcade-style game that lets the players explore the limitations of a meritocracy. By playing this game, the player is straining himself for the sake of winning. The control organs are two hand pumps connected to each side of the machine.

The construction is divided into three parts: the milk container, where the milk is preserved and pumped out, the game board, an abstract body landscape and the outer shell keeping everything together.

The goal is to pump the milk as efficiently as possible through the landscape to the final destination- a basin with drops of honey. While doing so, the player gets real-time confirmations of being on the right track in the form of small rewards to motivate him. This evaluation is based on his pumping skills, measuring the filling level that has been achieved and giving him a comparison to the average performance by lighting up leds. The gratification rises the expectations, so not winning will create even more disappointment. But is there actually a chance to win? As achieving-subjects aren’t we constantly trying to optimize ourselves?

Therefore, following our merit compulsion to perform more and more, are we competing with ourselves? Can we even reach a final feeling of gratification? Our ambition is to achieve the status of a complete optimized human being - a Homo Deus. For that we would need a paradise, a land where milk and honey flows.



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