Contextual Statement

The first artwork made by human being originated during the Old Stone Age. From then, art has been developing along with our society which includes civilization, technology, knowledge and etc. There are more ways to make art now than the Old Stone Age, that is because of the development of our society. New technologies and knowledges made new forms of art possible. Artistic activity is a game, whose forms, patterns and functions develop and evolve according to periods and social contexts (Bourriaud, 2002). Art is like a mirror, it reflects our society. In the other hand, art could be used to shape our society. For example, sculptures and paintings are used to represent Gods which give people believes, music brings people happiness. With the power of art, our society is being shaped. Artists not only document social change; they promote, inform, and shape it (Martinez, 2007). Therefore, our society makes art, and art also changes our society, they are strongly linked together.

Social Sculpture was advocated by the German artist Joseph Beuys, he also believed that society as a whole is one big work of art (wood, 2010) and everyone is an artist . His work 7,000 Oaks was a great  example which has deeply showed the potential of how art could change our society. In the work, the audience was the most valuable part, as they absorbed the idea and spread it through the society. Without the audience, it was just an uncompleted work. The arts can be a valuable engine of civic renewal (Seminar, n.d.), but art could not do anything without any audience. When the idea inside the artwork is seen by the audience, it changes the thoughts of the audience, then, the audience's action will make changes to the society.

Living in a modern city could be quite stressful, we are surrounded by the pressure of our everyday's life. Sometimes, a little compliment could make people feel noticed, important and happy. When a person is in a good mood, it could increase their performance. The Talk Box was designed to give out complimentary phrases. A normal unnoticeable cardboard box was used to pack the system. When a person passes by the box, the system will play one of the computer voice complimentary phrase. The situation will be the same as surprisingly receiving a compliment from a stranger on the streets. The compliment was expected to give people a better mood, as it could be better for them when they are dealing with other people. The power of the compliment will spread through the network of people, then it will reach a part of our society. It is like throwing a rock into a peaceful lake surface, even it is a small rock, it still makes waves, and waves spread along the surface for a long way before the power of the rock vanished. When the Talk Box gives out a compliment, the story does not end when the person walks away. The person who has received a compliment will have ability to pass the mood onto other people he meets. Like a wave, the power of the compliment will be caught by more than just one people, the result will be a part of our society has been changed.