E-BUNDLE, 2020
Laptops and hard drives, electric cords, and ethernet cables
E-Bundle (Black AAM) 19 × 19 × 17 in
E-Bundle (Yellow L.M. and S.M.) 19 × 19 × 17 in
E-Bundle (Green M.M.) 17 × 20 × 20 in
E-Bundle (Blue G.D.) 18 × 23 × 19 in
E-Bundle (Red G.Q.) 19 × 26 × 23 in
E-Bundle (Blue J.O.) 20 × 23 × 35 in
E-Bundle (Orange M.M.) 20 × 19 × 19 in
E-Bundle (Purple M.M.) 20 × 21 × 19 in
2020
Installation at Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
Jean Shin: E-bundle
This series of bundled sculptures serve as stationary seating for visitors to connect and contemplate. These sculptures also function as a kind of reliquary, a container for a holy item preserved for safekeeping. In this case, many of the donations of data storage devices, like laptops and hard drives, come from individuals who have made contributions to early cyberculture, currently work in the tech industry, or use technology as a tool to create positive change. The hardware, a kind of data portrait of its donor, is then entombed by the specific cables used by each device. E-bundles serve as a reminder of our utopian desires, which imagine how technological innovation might make our world better. Like with any relic, it requires faith in its power and authenticity.