We are, nowadays, almost fully dependent on energy. Our cars run on oil, our lighting, phones, laptops run on electricity; have we ever wondered how far we would go to harvest power?
This is a question than Naomi Kihzler, Industrial Designer, probably asked herself a couple of times.
When it was time for her to work on her final year project at college, she decided to create something completely innovative, a piece of conceptual art that could make people think and reflect: jewels.
But Energy Addict collection is one of a kind. Because the golden, sleek and minimal compact jewellery for her final project has no loops nor rings to keep it in place, and it’s not the average necklace; truth is, her accessories have no latches at all: if you were to buy them, they would hang on your body.
What if we could convert the never-ending flow of our blood and the countless, involuntary movements of our bodies into energy? It is through these jewels that the artist wants to make it possible: the spikes at the ends of the three pieces, once inserted in the veins, allow the tiny golden wheels to turn and create energy. The E-Pulse is meant to harvest energy from the nerves of the spinal cord, while the Blinker works with the fluttering of lashes and the E-Bridge collects energy from the blood flow.
But what is the whole point of creating such invasive jewellery?
In a world driven by energy, she said, we are often blinded and unable to understand the consequences of our actions. This project explores the possibility of a future in which humans provide biological energy, but also tries spark questions on whether we will have a choice or will be forced to make one: the depletion of energy sources is an ever-faster process, and through the jewellery, the artist hopes to raise awareness about how far we could go (or possibly, we would be forced to go).
Needless to say, the collection isn’t on sale. Even though we aren’t technologically too far away from being able to create such things, the purpose of the jewellery is not really to use it, she said. The project is mostly a reminder of what one day we might have to do, and aims to spark discussions and thoughts, making us consider whether we would be “willing to sacrifice our bodies in order to produce more energy”.
