Eros' Meatmarket
This Interactive Installation explores the term “Meatmarket” and how it applies to today’s modern online dating platforms (e.g. Tinder). Online apps force users to make an instinctual decision when choosing a partner; swipe left (dislike), right (like). This same intuitive decision-making is also made when choosing what products to buy at the supermarket. People are often visually objectified through terms such as “she’s a snack” or “he’s a piece of meat”. My installation exaggerates this approach to finding a partner and bluntly advertises potential matches as Produce. We choose a partner based on the packaging without considering the “Nutritional facts” (personality traits). By making a physical version of a virtual platform, my work allows its users to act on their visual instinct and ensures that with the help of a compatibility calculator you find someone with the personality to match their looks!
The people (produce) taking part are assigned a barcode attached to a personality type (the personality type is based on the Myers-Briggs test). Each barcode has a corresponding Nutrition label. When the barcode is scanned your compatibility with the produce is shown on the handheld screen!