Rachel Youn’s kinetic sculptures transform old household electronics into lifelike, floral art pieces. Using vacuum cleaners, personal massagers and walking pads, her creations evoke a human-like presence through repetitive, almost caged motions.
Each piece, like 'Slow Burn', features an artificial orchid animated by the movements of a neck massager. The work addresses themes of domesticity and sexuality, with motors burning out and mechanical parts turning to dust within galleries.
Sources often include parts from Facebook Marketplace listings, reflecting on the lifecycle of machines and their eventual obsolescence. Youn’s practice explores the performance of selfhood, especially in religious contexts like her experience as a pastor's daughter.
Through animation-like movements, her sculptures offer access points for complex themes such as frustration, eroticism, and the uncanny projection onto non-human entities. As AI increasingly impacts our lives, these pieces resonate with the growing intimacy we have with technology.







