Research Background
The exhibition 24/7 employs a multi-sensory experience to prompt audiences to reflect on how capitalism erodes our time through technology, work structures, and social media, forcing us into a perpetual operation.
How 24/7 reveals time control in modern society
The duration of “24/7” is based on the core argument of the book 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep:
How does global capitalism eliminate individual time autonomy?
How does modern technology shape the “endless operation” model?
How does the attention economy oppress individuals and make their time invisible?
The exhibition presents these concepts through various media, such as：
Installation view of Tekja, Awake, 2019
Awake is a data-driven interactive installation that explores the impact of modern society on sleep patterns through real-time data visualization. By analyzing global social media and news data, the work examines the extent to which people in different regions remain online late at night, revealing how a 24-hour society disrupts human biorhythms.
Installation view of Tatsuo Miyajima, Life Palace (tea room)
The work uses a closed meditation space and a continuously counting LED timer to symbolize the irreversible passage of time, immersing the audience in the anxiety of the passing of time. This concept inspired me to provide an interactive method in the third part of the exhibition, allowing the audience to actively define their own time rhythm. For example, they can pause the countdown, enter the “time still” space, experience the state of time that is free from the influence of technology, or write their ideal time arrangement, such as “Today I will spend two hours on myself instead of social media“, to explore how to truly take back their own time.
Rreference：
Crary, J. (2014). 24/7 : late capitalism and the ends of sleep (Paperback edition.). Verso.
Galleries, E. (2019, May 8). 24/7 A wake-up call for our non-stop world. Somerset House. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/247
Miyajima, T. (2022, January 23). Life Palace (tea room) . Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/9IU1TYC3q8g
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