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Andrew Friend's Device for Disappearing at Sea

By Lisa Smith - June 25, 2010

in Object Culture | Events

The Device for Disappearing at Sea is a floating hiding place, meant to produce a total isolation that can seldom be experienced on land. A sunken, one-person chasm is surrounded by a floating fiberglass ring. Once inside, it's just you, the sky and the sun. Don't worry, there is a rope that leads out of the sinkhole—this is intended for a safe and temporary disappearance only. When you're done being alone, just climb out and swim it right on back to shore.

The project is part of Fantastic, a larger series of devices by Andrew Friend that debuted last night at the opening of the Royal College of Art Design Thesis Show in the Design Interactions section. The project is about creating products to help people experience something fantastic, like disappearance, lightning strike (pictured below), and invisible electromagnetic forces.

We like this series because it proposes new, very direct ways that humans can experience the world. There's no denying that these products are dangerous, but so are motorcycling and sky-diving. These, though, aren't about sport. They could have been dreamed up by Werner Herzog: deliberate, in search of the sublime, and totally at the mercy of the terrifying forces of the environment, almost to the point of mysticism.

These projects deal with that which may seem extraordinary, unlikely, desirable (or not), confusing, or uncanny. I am interested in the fantastic experience, be it the conscious quest to achieve one's personal (or indeed popular) fantasy, or the more sub-conscious seeding of a fantastic situation or construct through the actions of others. The fantastic has the power to engage the imagination, initiate dreams and trigger desires, excite, manipulate and confuse. The projects explore how one can, through the production of objects and services located in specific contexts, enable these fantasies.

The lightning strike device, more fantastic but less believable, converts the energy of a lightening strike into heat in the hand of the user, scarring them forever with a memory of the experience.

Lots more great work at the RCA Show 2: go see it at the Kensington campus through July 4th, 2010.

More shots of both follow:

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IRANBOY

14 years ago

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Great idea! but it seems difficult to get into it & come out from it. What about stormy weather? will it work?
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Thomas Balaguer

14 years ago

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Very interesting but if there is only a single rope what happens if it breaks? It sounds like the type of solitude most people wouldn't want to experience. Anyway if you had four ropes and at least one ladders it may be a great idea... I can envision this structure to be entirely made out of a clear material; you would be able to view the aquatic life in a whole new way!
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Aaron

14 years ago

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I think you're on to something, Scott. It seems that the "fantastic experience" that Friend was actually searching for is a simple and mindless way to end a human life. And of course, had he lived in a country awash with guns, he would never have needed to be "creative" in searching for such a device.

Not to mention the incredible wastes embodied in his designs. A bullet contains mere grams of lead, and a gun requires perhaps a pound or two of steel (and a single gun, remember, can be reused many times for killing people!) But look at how much steel went into that lightening tower! And my guess is that it is single use as well. What a ghastly carbon footprint. If only all our designs were as efficient at accomplishing their purpose as guns!
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product tank

14 years ago

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Its difficult to see from the sketch, but you'd need a lot of ballast at the base of the tube for this to float upright as shown and with it so close to the water any more ballast (the weight of a human) could cause the whole thing to sink. On stormy days it would fill with water and sink. On sunny days you'd have to swim out to it and climb into it, so you'd already be wet, so then you're standing, wet in a shady hole surrounded by all the comforts of fiberglass - it does promise a fantastic experience! The idea of the projects is great (escapism, opportunity to challenge perceptions etc) , sadly the implementation is lacking - an oppourtuntiy missed.
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John Llewellyn

14 years ago

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Has the designer tested the lightning device? Survived? Creative and risky ways to get into an altered state. This guy will be someone to watch, yet exceedingly difficult to insure. Bravo!
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Shalin

14 years ago

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I'd think being at sea would offer solitude in spades. Maybe this'll end up as a unique spa option for cruise ship or off one of those man-made islands in Dubai...
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Scott

14 years ago

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Look more like creative and complicated ways to commit suicide. I guess this kind of thing makes sense when you live in a country where guns are banned.
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