Games Played at The Human Circus

 

SHOH Gallery, Berkeley, CA

October 4 -November 2

What is the Purpose of All This?

 

 

Now that you're done playing  (and you better be done playing), here's what's what about the games.  

 

 

Everything is an experiment . . .

1. Tickets

 

To access a certain zone online, you often have to play little games to show that you're not a bot. According to a 2024 report, humans spend an average of 6 hours and 40 minutes online daily.  So we're adapting physical entry protocol to mirror your online behaviors.

 

 

2. No Lack of Humor

 

Wishing wells, wish trees, and wishing this or that . . . People often flock to these human-designated spots to ask for help in fulfilling a desire. New job? A partner? Thinner thighs? Getting into Harvard? 

 

But do their wishes ever come true? 

 

Why are people so eager to put all their wishes and dreams into an inanimate object that will likely give them nothing in return?

 

What if there is a human-designated site that does the opposite?

What fits the bill? Giving and receiving humor is a possibility.

 

Let's see if a site of giving with instant return will be as popular as one that shouts "LACK" and leaves you with nothing (except maybe false hope).

 

 

 

3. Empty Words and Promises

 

Face it. Many of us have done this: Say nice-sounding things that you don't put a lot of meaning into.

 

You use these words as an easy way to end a conversation, to make you look good or caring, to appease a sticky situation, etc.

 

What if the recipient of those words took you seriously? After a while, they might become disappointed by your unfulfilled promises. And because you've likely forgotten what you've said to them (because certain words have become meaningless), you have no idea why people are angry at you.

 

What happens if we start to mean every single word that we say? Let's find out.

 

 

 

4. Unsolicited Advice Solicited

 

Some people can't stop giving advice, even when it's about something that is not of their expertise.

 

Some people keep asking for help. Often, they have the answer already. Sometimes, they are capable of executing the task they are requesting help for. But they still ask and ask.

 

OK. Most people have been guilty of one or both to different people. 

 

It seems like givers and askers of advice have something in common: A need to be heard, cared for, or validated.

 

When the giving or asking becomes excessive, people get labeled as things like: overbearing mom, professor, 

time-sucking vampires, etc. It's not fun.

 

We don't have a solution for you. But maybe it will be fun to practice slowing things down and setting boundaries.

 

In our one-to-one advice exchange, you will likely get/give advice that will make no sense. But hey . . . excessively pushing into others to give/get advice does not make sense either. At least our version of advice giving/receiving is fun.

 

 

5. Social But No Media

 

Maybe you've done some of the following online:

What if you meet a stranger face to face and are made to talk? Would you speak as freely as you would to them online? Let's find out.

 

 

6. Gift Shop

 

How much time do visitors spend looking at a piece of art on display? Under 30 seconds. This is according to a 2017 study titled "Time Spent Viewing Art and Reading Labels" published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts. The data was collected in museums, not galleries. But still, it provides a clue to how some people view art.

 

How much time do visitors spend looking at an item in an exhibition gift shop? We have no idea. Can’t find the data. But per eyeball observations, museum stores appear to be very, very popular. And the research subjects within often seem deeply engrossed in the examination of postcards, book jackets, art-themed accessories, and branded merchandise.

 

Okay. Okay.You can have a discussion about the role of stores inside art institutions or debate art vs. the commercialization of art on your own  . . . over a beer. 

 

No matter what you think . . . Here, we are using our little merch corner to have some (cheap!) fun and also help raise a little bit of money for dogs and cats in need. When you’re done shopping, don't forget to look (ridiculously deeply!) at all the handmade stuff on the walls. And have fun!

 

 

7. Rest(less) Room

 

 

Seen and be seen! That's the world live in, where our daily lives are being tracked or monitored. So many people out there have information related to your communication devices, social media platforms, subscription details, online registrations, shopping checkout data, and on and on. Who knows what they do with it!?! This invasion of privacy often brews anxiety and mistrust.

 

The bathroom/toilet/restroom is often considered a private place to perform vulnerable acts. It's where humans go to eliminate waste, to cry, to bathe, to seek peace. But how delicate is this illusion of privacy?

 

Could innocent-looking suggestions of being monitored trigger hesitations and fears?

 

 

Thank You For Playing.

 

Visit the SHOH Gallery site for more on The Human Circus.