I came across an article about a piece of art called "Can't Help Myself." It was a machine designed by 2 artists named Sun Yuan & Peng Yu, and completed for the Guggenheim Museum, in New York. The piece consists of a mechanical hydraulic arm constructed behind an acrylic screen that is leaking red hydraulic fluid. There is a predetermined control area, and as the fluid extends beyond this area, the machine cleans it back up in order to refill its reservoir and survive. The machine was initially programmed with various entertaining movements, which it displayed to the audience.

However, as time went by and more fluid leaked, it’s available time became more constrained. It was no longer able to perform these enjoyable and entertaining movements and only had enough time to complete the cleaning tasks in order to maintain sufficient levels of fluid for survival.

When I first read about this, I was slightly confused about the concept. Its portrayal of society and the profound metaphor for our lives in the modern world suddenly became quite confronting. As I look deeper into it and think further about it, it speaks volumes about the construction of our lives, our purpose, and how we have been confined into a predetermined structure within society.

The piece was so simplistic, mechanical, and rigid, yet dire, bleak, and sad. Are the lives we live constructed within predetermined confines of what reality is? Are we programmed to stay within a set parameter in order to survive? And by doing so, do we lose the fun and enjoyment of what it means to be human, to be unique, to feel alive?

These are all quite profound thoughts, combined with the realization that we are subject to certain conformities within our modern lives. I think it emphasizes the importance of making the most of the time we have, while maintaining an open mind around what is important in our lives, who we should listen to, who to trust, how to live, and what to live for.

The machine was programmed with 32 set movements, including the cleaning mechanism. It was programmed to believe that if the hydraulic fluid leaked beyond a certain limit, it would die. However, this was not actually the case, and no matter how much fluid leaked, it would continue to survive and potentially thrive. So, it’s important for us all to remember that how we think, perceive, feel, and act may all just be a construct of preconceived ideologies that have been programmed into us. If it feels right it probably is, if it feels wrong it probably is, these feeling are unique and personal to us all and how we perceive our reality, the voices we make, and what confines we chose to accept, all contribute significantly in our search for happiness.

Thanks,

Dean