Jui™
Religion(2025)
Year Artwork Completed: 2025
Meduim: Mutli-Media : Woods, Wires, Paper, raspberry pi, monitor, Blender (3D software)
Dimensions: 63”x25”x28” (1,600.2mm x 635mm x 711.2mm)(H x W x L)
The research background primarily stems from the artist's own reflections on religion and the power structures constructed by contemporary capitalist society. Historically, religion served not only to unite people but also, objectively speaking, regardless of its merits, provided an “unquestionable moral compass” and behavioral norms.
However, in modern society, technological advancements following the Industrial Revolution, the rise of materialism, individualism, and the fragmenting effects of capitalism have, to some extent, supplanted the traditional role of religion. Traditional religious doctrines no longer serve as the sole behavioral compass. Instead, money, status, and the authority and control wielded by tech corporations have become the new moral compass and behavioral code. Thus, the “guardian angel” sent by a deity born from the fusion of technology and capitalism has transformed into the moral compass of “Technology Billionaire Industrialists.”
The actual image of “angels” also varies according to their status and the meanings they represent. The artist chose to use the image of Seraphim as the creative inspiration. In Catholic doctrine, Seraphim represent the highest order of angels, and they “burn with joy, having fully comprehended God's love.” Angels manifest in the three-dimensional world through diverse forms for the purpose of “assisting” humanity. The artist's variations depict versions that emerge from the elite class's obsession with control and fear of losing power, driven by their eagerness to dominate the world and wield authority.
Wood serves as the primary foundation and central axis for the construction of the work. Its presence symbolizes the inevitability of systemic cycles, seemingly indestructible, yet ultimately subject to corrosion and decay over time. The counterfeit currency on the surface carries a satirical implication: contemporary capitalism operates on the “trust” that these paper bills serve a purpose. Yet, the moment capitalism ‘decides’ these papers lose their function, the symbol of “money” ceases to be functional, becoming mere decoration. The profusion of multicolored wires symbolizes the excessive consumerism unleashed by the Industrial Revolution and the “inevitability” of technological advancement that followed. The exposed wooden framework reveals the system's inherent “structural fragility,” all bound by “trust, control, and fear.”
The screens and perpetually rotating eyeballs represent the anxious mindset driven by the relentless pursuit to “understand” and “control.” The counterfeit bills, wood, wires, and the final element of the completed work:the “power outlet”, all symbolize the fragility of power, posing the question: If the construction of power relies on whoever feeds (recharges) the system, then who truly is in charge?
Portions of this animation incorporate and reinterpret a Creative Commons–licensed 3D model:
“Blue Eyeball (Free)” 3D model by Tom Hodes, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Original model available at: https://skfb.ly/6qIYQ
Modified and integrated into this project.