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1media/CHM Cover.webp2023-03-31T11:37:34-07:00Logistics and Construction14CHMplain2023-04-10T11:45:16-07:00
Can't Help Myself was first exhibited at the Guggenheim in 2016 before being shown again at the Venice Biennale in 2019. c. The piece consists of a robotic arm with a brush attached to its end surrounded by a red liquid pooling around its base. Enclosed in glass paneling, the robot's purpose is to control the spread of the liquid. Creators/Artists Sun Yuan & Peng Yu have garnered a reputation in their use of human flesh and other to controversial materials and equally controversial messages.
This piece has caused massive speculation regarding what the intention of the artists was. Responses across the Internet have theorized that the piece is a metaphor for mental illness, surveillance, or that the world we live in prioritizes working oneself to the bone. In an interview, Sun describes one element of the work saying, "The difference between machines and humans is that even if machines develop a new calculating quality that exceeds their original settings those calculations will still be based on the logic programmed by humans. They are incapable of performing any task that is beyond human experience.” Taking this into account, this piece, for me, feels like an exploration in the human robot dynamics we exist in. There is a level of intentionality in this piece where the artists are very aware of the limitations on either side. I will say that the difference outlined above feels incomplete and somewhat hierarchical and anthropocentric. That being said, people's responses show a clear sense of human-ness attached to the robot.