Give Me a Second

When we think of snow, we often associate it with Winter, a time for most animals to slow down, to hibernate. Snow, if seen as water in a different state, can act as a signifier to reflect macro processes such as the tangible changes in weather and landscape. Changes that, in turn, can be traced back to much smaller processes such as individual patterns in day-to-day life. Within capitalist society, a fast-paced life has disconnected us from the natural cycles associated with water - we can no longer read the changing seasons in the rhythms of water or tell time through sunlight alone. Snow and water have become the other, commodified resources that no longer hold a crucial, vital bond with us.

Under the human construct of time, the thirst for efficiency has produced an overworked society that is detached from natural cycles. In this context, hibernation becomes a means to oppose the overconsumption of resources and we propose its introduction into daily life by mirroring the natural cycles of snow. The inspiration behind our design proposal is the online phenomenon of water ASMR – a digital form of hibernation which embraces sensory experiences (often neglected in our rapidly developing society) and encourages viewers to slow down. The slow interactions with water allow us to focus on behaviours we exhibit daily while the project’s digital component ironically underlines our dependence on technology.

“Give me a second” sets out to create a spatial experience that can provide slow, intimate hibernations through the medium of ASMR. These moments are centred around our daily interactions with water and embrace three different layers:

1. Reflecting on our efficiency-oriented lifestyle and culture of consumption

2. Reflecting on our often-overlooked our daily interactions with water

3. Reframing our position towards both ourselves and water

The project is a representation of our exploration through the aspects of water that are invisible yet vital to our existence.

A SECOND is the second it takes for tap water to run through your fingers, the second it takes your body to respond to ASMR stimulation before you’re even aware of it, the second you need to dive into a deep break from the chaos around you.