Instant noodle cup, speaker, mini PC, monitor, magic arm, custom computer program, #force

2025

We consider eating Korean instant noodle cups as one of our leisure activities. We often enjoy them while hanging out with friends or watching movies at home. Through this work, we contrast this simple moment of pleasure with a sound composition inspired by muscle cramps caused by intense physical activity. Each noodle cup contains a speaker connected to custom software that collects tweets with the hashtag #force. The TV monitor on the right side of the installation displays the collected tweets as they are continuously translated into binary code, which activates the speakers inside the cups and generates a sound composition that evokes the sensation of muscle cramps.

The work reflects on how new economic platforms have transformed what was once perceived as leisure into another form of labor. Surrounding the installation is wallpaper featuring overlapping images of cow skin and meat that appear broken and glitched. These visuals refer to sapi perah, an Indonesian term describing labor that is continuously exploited by employers. At the same time, the work points to the idea of labor being treated as a “cash cow” within contemporary economic systems.

Courtesy of the artist, ROH, SONGEUN
All photos by Studio JAYBEE