Vulnerable Cable

By: Steven Chan, Yuting Li, Evelyn Yu, Vincent Sam, Son Nguyen, Grace Jin
Course: IAT 222 Interactive Arts

Description: Vulnerable Cable (2024) is an interactive artwork that highlights the fragility of digital communication, particularly through undersea cables. As traditional media becomes increasingly polarized, the Internet serves as a platform for unbiased communication. However, geopolitical conflicts threaten the security of the vital undersea infrastructure that sustains these connections.

Through this piece, we explore the concept of connection and emphasize the critical attention required to maintain the systems enabling it. The artwork visualizes the breaking of societal barriers by using a pair of microphones connected via a long XLR cable and two laptops. When participants lift the cable off the ground, symbolically "giving it attention," the video feed between the laptops becomes clear; free from static and traditional media interference.

This interaction underscores the delicate yet essential role of infrastructure in fostering communication and connection across societies.

Video feed from the IAT 222 showcase: