Compression Cradle anticipates a future in which human contact has disappeared. It is an animated machine that affectionately embraces the body: through a choreography of tactile sensations, it provokes the brain to secrete oxytocin, the hormone playing a major role in self-confidence and empathy. According to Lucy McRae, mechanical contact might be an antidote to today’s constant connectivity, which, paradoxically, leads to a lonely disconnection from self.
This work was created to be part of the collective installation "The Architectural Beast" (2019) curated by Hernan Diaz Alonso.
