In the smallest space you can get in, what will you think about?

In the entry titled “A state of mind of meat,” regine reported Makoto Ishiwata’s Vacuum Packing!, in which the consumer becomes voluntarily a vacuum packed product.

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[Vacuum Packing!: Heartbeat]

Ishiwata recently built a new device called “Vacuum Packing!: Heartbeat.” As the name suggests, the device vacuum-packs a visitor from all sides in rubber — this is similar to “Vacuum Packing!,” however, the purpose of the new device is different: it is designed for self-reflection and meditation.

As such, the new device is dodecahedron-shaped and enhanced with a sound system that allows a contained person to listen to the rhythm of the heartbeat. What would you reflect upon in the smallest space you can get in? “Vacuum Packing!: Heartbeat” is exhibited at Maru Gallery in Tokyo till May 5. Every Wednesday and Saturday, the artist will be on assisting visitors who wish to enter and experience the work.

I came across this blog post (in Japanese) by a person who actually got vacuum-packed recently, and he says that he felt like a living cell. Actually, one of the artist’s intentions is to allow a visitor to sense “how small an individual is.” (you can read the artist’s short statement on Real Tokyo)