Ever wondered what Transformers would look like if contained within your own home and made up of cardboard boxes? Well wonder no longer because the latest personal project from Max Siedentopf has the answer. Mundane Machines imagines how everyday objects could take on human forms as his comment upon the relentless encroachment of next generation technology on all of our lives.

The Namibian-born, London-based visual artist and director explains:

“Smart phones, smart watches, fridges that know when to order food for you, smart washing machines so your clothes are never ruined again, e-cigarettes that look like USB sticks, cars that drive for you, heaters that know your perfect temperature in the morning… The devices around us become smarter every day. It is only a matter of time until the most mundane machines around us take on a life of their own.”

Siedentopf, who was until recently the creative director of the agency KesselsKramer, is also the founder of Ordinary magazine, which asks artists “to make ordinary objects extraordinary”. And that’s exactly what the ingenious talent has achieved here. Cigarette packets, burgers and armchairs are not what they seem as they unfurl themselves into rather uncomfortable looking robot people. So the next time you reach for your smart device, better ask ‘Who’s the boss?’

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Published on 05/01/2021