Invitation to Variables

Abstract

Invitation to Variables explores digital fatigue and emotional disengagement in an age of algorithmic sameness. Inspired by the repetitive structures of online content, the artwork investigates how users respond to perceived redundancy, whether they disengage or persist in seeking variation. A 3x3 grid of QR codes printed on fabrics serves as the primary interactive element. While six QR codes link to the same video, three offer distinct experiences, creating a tension between uniformity and novelty. This work aligns with the exhibition theme SUSTAINAISSANCE: Emotion, Expression, Identity by reframing sustainability through the lens of psychological endurance. Here, sustainability refers not to environmental resources, but to our capacity to sustain emotional engagement, intentional expression, and identity in a hyper-digital world. The repetitive scanning becomes symbolic of how digital users navigate choice, curiosity, and expectation. The piece prompts reflection on our threshold for boredom, our assumptions about content, and the resilience required to remain self-aware amid digital saturation. By shifting the focus toward inner sustainability, Invitation to Variables suggests that preserving curiosity, attention, and critical thought is just as vital as sustaining the planet, offering a nuanced critique of how we consume not only products but also information and experience.