James Grossman - Winner

Overview

Creating public sculptures and interventions that enhance connection within the community. How can we enhance existing connections in a technologically distanced world. This is a highly relevant topic as more and more of our daily interactions and relationships are becoming digitised. How can we adapt to the consequences of this paradigm shift on our ability to connect? Through these interventions, I have united those from a diverse range of communities.

Founder: James Grossman

The story

Human connection is an innate drive within us, yet every aspect of our lives has become connected. Now more than ever connection is dependent on technology. We are becoming increasingly reliant on digital connections, that have been technologically engineered. We need to be more reliant on forming natural connections in the real world as there is a gradual decline in face-to-face contact. We have formulated this symbiotic relationship between man and machine which needs to be transferred into a need for social in-person connection.

What will our future relationships look like? I would like to implement more connection-sparking interventions within the public realm, to create new conversations within the community. The reason for this implementation is that there is a loneliness epidemic, 1 in 3 adults feel lonely. Human connection has been shown to have beneficial impacts on health risks and longevity when there are stronger social bonds, leading to improving the immune system whilst simultaneously enlarging our length of life by up to 50%. On the contrary, some of the negative consequences of social isolation include a 40% increase in a person’s risk of dementia, a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke. Through the implementation of more public interventions and interactions, I aim to create a sense of community and new relationships within a society distanced by technology.

I am fascinated by encouraging our need for more face-to-face intimate connection, through rigorous research and controlled environmental testing I have seen the positive impact that these interventions have on individuals, it encourages disclosure, laughter and a simple escape from our mundane day-to-day interactions. We are fueled by an innate drive for social connection. Human connection is an inherent bond which forms between individuals when they feel acknowledged and appreciated, which then yields trust. Humans are born wired for connection – it’s in our DNA, as strong of a need as food, water and warmth, Connection helps us regulate our emotions, leads to higher self-esteem and empathy. We can see the importance of connection, especially from birth, if babies unsuccessfully attach to their caregiver, they won’t be able to survive. Babies are born completely helpless, so they are simply reliant on their caregivers. A loving, secure relationship is literally a matter of life and death for babies.

Therefore highlighting the importance of connection throughout our development. Through promoting inclusivity by making these interventions accessible to everyone it allows anyone battling this loneliness epidemic to be involved. The beauty of it being so accessible provides the ability to get individuals involved before loneliness sets in. Through these public works, I aim to create new relationships and support networks within the public realm, enhancing their connections with others and therefore improving their well-being. We need to intervene before it's too late. Having conducted interventions with hundreds of individuals it's great to see the lasting impact and shift of perspective that a simple interaction can have on a human life. Moving forward I would like to scale these actions up and reach more of the public. Glare - An intervention implemented in the real world, exploring how prolonged eye contact can enhance and create connections within new as well as existing relationships.

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