(Archive) Tête à Tête 22

Learning Intimate Dependency Through Strenuous Interaction

While technology provides safety and flexibility in our interactions, we now have fewer opportunities to interact physically. The loss of proximity has left many feeling isolated, distanced, and disengaged from even close family and co-workers. These feelings of being emotionally and sensually absent led us to imagine and create the installation “Tête-à-Tête 22”.

"Tête à Tete 22" is designed for two people can sit next to each other. Initially, a brake prevents this set of two sideways-connected chairs from tilting. But, when slowly released, the seatmates become increasingly dependent on each other to keep their balance, as in a relationship.

"Tête à Tete 22" explores poetic engagements with technology that facilitates human-human communication, bodily and emotionally. Designing strenuous physical interaction in a set of chairs aims to open a sense of togetherness in everyday life by constructing a digital entity with a symbolic meaning, experiential possibility, and a functional role.

(Lee&Saakes, 2022)