monique grimord hijacks the tactics of terror in empathy bomber project
in a public space, they don a protective mask and detonate the pack, expelling a plume of oxytocin-heavy gas into the lungs of passersby.
monique grimord hijacks the tactics of terror in empathy bomber project
all images courtesy of monique grimord
in a not so distant future genetic home gardening and hormonal engineering, biological contraband has become the weapon of choice. the speculative story of the ’empathy bomber’ by monique grimord starts in a northern italian city. two bio-hacking activists have perfected a compound that releases intense doses of oxytocin; a hormone which creates feelings of contentment and increases bonding.
mask detail
once created, the duo transforms the potted experiment into a backpack — a ubiquitous city sight. in a public space, they don a protective mask and detonate the pack, expelling a plume of gas into the lungs of passersby. ’empathy bomber’ envisions a future extremism when the same tools used to dispel devastation are hijacked to create genuine understanding throughout the world’s societies.
video courtesy of monique
releasing the ’empathy’ weapon
performance still
the extremists own mind is protected by a mask
backpack aperture
a small button on the strap causes the pack to open
internals
’empathy bomber’ backpack construction
aperture mechanism
detonator
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