Jolijn Bos

The relationship between man and machine

“You press the button, we do the rest” — this was already Kodak’s slogan in 1888. Since then, outsourcing our actions to devices and machines has become second nature. Tasks that once required direct physical involvement have increasingly been reduced to operation: a single press of a button is enough, and the result appears instantly.

Even simple acts—mixing water and flour, making coffee—are delegated to machines that promise convenience, speed, and efficiency. In doing so, our role shifts from that of an experiencing and acting human being to that of an operator.

Although this shift is often perceived as liberation from effort, it also creates distance from the process itself. “I was there, but merely watched it happen”: many actions have become passive.

Who serves who, reveals the nature of our relationship. Humans operate machines, while machines serve us. Yet increasingly, it is the logic of the machine that shapes human behaviour. Efficiency, continuity, and comfort have become self-evident desires; making life as easy as possible is seen as something that “everyone wants.” Our language reflects how deeply this logic has penetrated our lives. We “recharge,” “refuel,” and work together like a well-oiled machine.

What we trade away is less visible: autonomy, engagement, and conscious action. Experiences become streamlined and frictionless. The world becomes more predictable and flatter.

In my work, I explore the dependency between humans and machines. Not by rejecting technology, but by making visible how our actions have become intertwined with automation. I work with two opposing forces: rejection versus the desire for fusion. In the installation, the visitor activates a mechanical process with the push of a button, but the sense of comfort is interrupted by friction and tension. In this way, a sense of uncertainty emerges: who is actually operating whom?

The question remains open: what becomes of our autonomy when we shift from experiencing to merely operating?