installation exposes aging within a productivity-driven society
Laboratory of Inactivity is a mixed-media installation by designer Zivile Aleknaviciute that examines the structural and cultural intersections of aging, productivity, and design. Through spatial composition, object recombination, and audiovisual narrative, the installation explores the societal framing of inactivity within the context of late-capitalist work culture. A hybrid of an old walker and an office chair, a video voiced by the artist’s grandmother, and a myth-inspired fountain of youth infusion system reveal the tensions between aging, productivity, and biohacking culture. An integrated QR code leads to a fictional webpage as a satirical take on wellness marketing. Laboratory of Inactivity creates a multilayered field of meaning, inviting viewers to critically reconsider the notion of aging within capitalist Western society.
all images by Elaiela Archive
Laboratory of Inactivity reflects on the politics of productivity
The installation integrates found objects with constructed components to form a conceptual environment that critiques normative expectations around usefulness and aging. Central to the work is ‘Hybrid Artifact,’ a modified mobility aid that combines an old walker with an office chair. This juxtaposition merges symbols of physical decline and workplace productivity, raising questions about the boundaries between care, labor, and identity. The spatial arrangement is punctuated by a continuously looping video projected within the installation space. Composed of stock imagery depicting uninhabited office interiors, the video transitions rhythmically between sterile, liminal spaces. This static sequence is narrated by a voice recounting the health regimen of tech entrepreneur and longevity advocate Bryan Johnson, adding a contrasting layer between the mediated ideal of the optimized body and the reality of aging. The voiceover, delivered by the artist’s grandmother, reinforces the temporal and generational tension embedded in the work.
A second focal point is a glass-based installation titled ‘The Fountain of Youth Infusion System.’ Medical tubing circulates a colored liquid through hand-blown glass vessels, referencing both historical mythologies and present-day wellness trends. The fragility and translucency of the material palette contribute to the installation’s engagement with time, bodily vulnerability, and the aesthetic codes of biohacking. An embedded QR code links to a fictional satirical wellness advertisement of ‘youth water,’ extending the installation into a digital layer. The speculative webpage mimics commercial aesthetics and language to question the commodification of youth and the market-driven narratives that inform contemporary aging discourse.
a walker meets an office chair in a hybrid artifact, questioning the future of labor and aging
found objects and speculative design intersect in a critique of productivity culture
detail of the chair sculpture merging symbols of mobility, aging, and work
the juxtaposition merges symbols of physical decline and workplace productivity
a continuously looping video is projected within the installation space
the video is composed of stock imagery depicting uninhabited office interiors
the installation explores the internalization of self-optimization and constant productivity
medical tubing circulates a colored liquid through hand-blown glass vessels
hand-blown glass vessels reference both historical mythologies and present-day wellness trends
the conceptual environment critiques normative expectations around usefulness and aging
the installation asks: Will we work until death? Will we be allowed to age?
project info:
name: Laboratory of Inactivity
designer: Zivile Aleknaviciute | @dzivilla
photographer: Elaiela Archive | @elaiela.archive
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
The post laboratory of inactivity mixed media installation critiques productivity culture appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
