Safety Shell

By exaggerating (or reiterating) the need to communicate with others through this shell device, it becomes a parody of communication and the need to understand.  Clearly we do not walk around every day needing some sort of visual communication device to indicate to others that we are turning left, or right, or braking when we are on foot.  We typically use these signals while we are in some kind of vehicle which is an extension of our body but does not allow us to communicate with body language (which would indicate which way we are turning, or if we are going to stop somewhere).  Additionally, of course, we use those signals on vehicles to prevent damage because a collision that occurs between metal vehicles is much more severe than a collision occurring between two bodies.  Nevertheless, the art piece is activated because the Safety Shell references that method of communication used with vehicles and transplants it directly onto the body (with no vehicular mediator).  It raises questions about how we communicate with one another, and why we communicate in the ways we do, or why we don't communicate using methods other than the ones we use.  What is this need to communicate and what is the best way to interact with one another?  All these questions and more are asked but not answered in this project.