Button Trap

Borderline Experience Machine, 2015

Button Trap @ Büro für Brauchbarkeit, Cologne (GER) | Photo: Volker Morawe

Button Trap is a wooden mouse trap where the cheese has been replaced by a blinking button. The trap is fully cocked. Do you dare pushing the button? What will happen if you do?

The installation works as an object for itself, but of course can be interacted with. Some people never dare pushing the button, but those who do will find out that sometimes (about every third push of the button) an internal mechanism will produce a very loud knocking sound, giving the impression that the trap was triggered – shocking and repelling the user. However, people are curious little monkeys and most of the time they come back to push again.

Button Trap is as much a social experiment as it is a statement about how todays technology is alluring but at the same time often becomes a trap for it’s users. And it’s just plain fun to watch people being shocked…hehe…

Exhibitions