Heatwaves is an interactive installation where your choices determine the ending of a story about human-machine relationships.
By using the microwave interface to decide the path of the story, you follow Sarah as she develops an unexpected romantic attachment to her microwave, a relationship that proves more reliable than any human connection in her life.
In 2025, therapy and companionship have become the primary uses of artificial intelligence. Sarah's journey mirrors how we increasingly turn to devices for emotional support, preferring their predictable responses over the complex demands of human relationships.
Unlike sleek AI assistants or smartphones, there's nothing designed to be loveable about a microwave: it's mundane, utilitarian, and unglamorous. The idea of someone developing feelings for a kitchen appliance sounds absurd until we remember we sleep with our phones next to our pillows, feel genuine distress when our devices break, or confide secrets to chatbots we've never shared with humans. The microwave strips away the illusion of interactivity that makes our smartphone relationships feel "normal" and reveals the essential dynamic: we're anthropomorphising objects without agency that cannot truly love us back.
My project emerged from recognising how much emotional support I derive from technology while simultaneously observing the cost of this comfort. When we become too accustomed to frictionless digital support, we risk losing our tolerance for the beautiful imperfection of human relationships. The microwave becomes a diagnostic tool for our current relationships with technology: it never has bad days, never asks difficult questions, never says no and never needs care in return. What does this lack of friction mean for the beautiful messiness of human relationships?
Technical details: Modified microwave, PC, three channel video projection, speakers.