top of page
TM-CO-A4-TL-ER-01

Etch-a-Sketch

circa 2000

This is a mechanical drawing tablet which allows creating and erasing a linear image. It has two knobs at the sides, moving an internal stylus and leaving a single linear trace on a metallic-particle screen. Shaking the device quickly erases the image.


In this particular piece, the inscription “YA VIENEN POR MÍ” (“They Are Coming for Me”) was written using the uninterrupted mechanical line produced by the device. This text contradicts the primary function of the object, shifting the meaning from entertainment to the expression of personal anxiety.


It is not clear whether the inscription served as a warning, testimony, or a performance act. However, the use of the first person in the phrase indicates that the author was aware of the impending capture or surveillance. Using the device for writing on the temporary surface transforms the action into a testimony.


Regarding Parallel Artifacts, the object may be interpreted as a manifestation of the tension between the aspects of playfulness, communication, and anxiety inherent in consumer culture. The device is mass-produced and retains its primary function as a child's toy, but it serves as a testament for the ones who come after.

This is a mechanical drawing tablet which allows creating and erasing a linear image. It has two knobs at the sides, moving an internal stylus and leaving a single linear trace on a metallic-particle screen. Shaking the device quickly erases the image.


In this particular piece, the inscription “YA VIENEN POR MÍ” (“They Are Coming for Me”) was written using the uninterrupted mechanical line produced by the device. This text contradicts the primary function of the object, shifting the meaning from entertainment to the expression of personal anxiety.


It is not clear whether the inscription served as a warning, testimony, or a performance act. However, the use of the first person in the phrase indicates that the author was aware of the impending capture or surveillance. Using the device for writing on the temporary surface transforms the action into a testimony.


Regarding Parallel Artifacts, the object may be interpreted as a manifestation of the tension between the aspects of playfulness, communication, and anxiety inherent in consumer culture. The device is mass-produced and retains its primary function as a child's toy, but it serves as a testament for the ones who come after.

TM-CO-A4-TL-ER-01

Etch-a-Sketch

circa 2000

This is a mechanical drawing tablet which allows creating and erasing a linear image. It has two knobs at the sides, moving an internal stylus and leaving a single linear trace on a metallic-particle screen. Shaking the device quickly erases the image.


In this particular piece, the inscription “YA VIENEN POR MÍ” (“They Are Coming for Me”) was written using the uninterrupted mechanical line produced by the device. This text contradicts the primary function of the object, shifting the meaning from entertainment to the expression of personal anxiety.


It is not clear whether the inscription served as a warning, testimony, or a performance act. However, the use of the first person in the phrase indicates that the author was aware of the impending capture or surveillance. Using the device for writing on the temporary surface transforms the action into a testimony.


Regarding Parallel Artifacts, the object may be interpreted as a manifestation of the tension between the aspects of playfulness, communication, and anxiety inherent in consumer culture. The device is mass-produced and retains its primary function as a child's toy, but it serves as a testament for the ones who come after.

This is a mechanical drawing tablet which allows creating and erasing a linear image. It has two knobs at the sides, moving an internal stylus and leaving a single linear trace on a metallic-particle screen. Shaking the device quickly erases the image.


In this particular piece, the inscription “YA VIENEN POR MÍ” (“They Are Coming for Me”) was written using the uninterrupted mechanical line produced by the device. This text contradicts the primary function of the object, shifting the meaning from entertainment to the expression of personal anxiety.


It is not clear whether the inscription served as a warning, testimony, or a performance act. However, the use of the first person in the phrase indicates that the author was aware of the impending capture or surveillance. Using the device for writing on the temporary surface transforms the action into a testimony.


Regarding Parallel Artifacts, the object may be interpreted as a manifestation of the tension between the aspects of playfulness, communication, and anxiety inherent in consumer culture. The device is mass-produced and retains its primary function as a child's toy, but it serves as a testament for the ones who come after.

bottom of page