Adopt A Data Center: Cuddly Toy Screams AI Reality
New York creative studio Basura introduces ‘Bezzy,’ a plush toy simulating real AI data center hums when hugged to critique tech growth.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- ‘Adopt A Data Center’ is a satirical project by Basura for music artist Big Data.
- The plush toy ‘Bezzy’ plays the high-pitched hum of a real AI data center when hugged.
- Only 20 handmade toys were produced, combining ’80s childhood toy design with corporate mascot aesthetics.
- The project features an adoption site linking research and interviews with US residents living near data centers.
New York-based creative studio Basura has partnered with music artist Big Data to launch a satirical project titled ‘Adopt A Data Center,’ examining how technological progress is packaged and experienced by communities living in the shadow of major tech infrastructure.
The project explores the emotional packaging surrounding technological advancements, encouraging closer attention to the physical realities of data centers. Basura’s accompanying ‘Adoption Site’ compiles research reports and features interviews with dozens of residents living near data centers across the US, with the audio embedded in the toy originating from a resident in Virginia.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Named ‘Bezzy,’ the toy draws inspiration from adoptable plush animals sold by organizations like the WWF. Its design merges the visual language of an 1980s childhood toy with a corporate mascot, featuring round eyes, a coy smile, and long shaggy limbs to give the data center a softer, more vulnerable appearance.
This art piece highlights the friction between the soaring computational demands of artificial intelligence and the tangible environmental and auditory burdens placed on local neighborhoods. By utilizing a nostalgic childhood object to represent cold digital infrastructure, the creators offer a biting critique of corporate narrative packaging.
All 20 plush toys were entirely handmade, deliberately avoiding a polished commercial finish to evoke the familiarity of an everyday object while carefully reflecting the engineered visual language typical of big tech corporations.
"Adopt A Data Center examines the stories we are sold, versus the reality communities experience, as one of the greatest revolutions in human history plays out"
Rajeev Basu
Rajeev Basu, artist and founder of Basura, comments that the project investigates the narratives we are sold versus the lived realities of communities amidst one of history's greatest revolutions.
Alan Wilkis of Big Data notes that big tech encroaches into every aspect of modern life, leaving individuals feeling simultaneously unsatisfied and powerless, with AI data centers serving as the physical embodiment of that sentiment. The project coincides with the upcoming release of Big Data's new album, 4.0.
Source: designboom
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment