lucy mcrae imagines post-apocalyptic sherpas with 'future survival kit'

los angeles-based artist lucy mcrae has created a ‘future survival kit’ concept, carrying the entire work on her back for a photoshoot that imagines a post-apocalyptic future. mcrae, who refers to herself as a body architect, imagines a sherpa who has fled reality to start an ad-libbed world, carrying their life on their back.

images courtesy of the artist

the piece was commissioned by design museum of holon for their ‘state of extremes exhibition.’ curated by aric chen, it analyses the evolution of design in response to the climate and social changes of the last ten years.

‘a post-apocalyptic sherpa holds a book about a warning from the past,’ mcrae imagines. ‘they’ve fled reality starting their own ad-libbed world, carrying the world on their back; their hunt is for independence, truth and trust.’

‘receding from present-day where an ai determines how dangerous you are based on the number of times you let your phone go flat. saying ‘no thanks’ to the age of the algorithm, all citizens become their own sherpa.’

‘the shoot was an experiment. I wondered whether I could carry the entire artwork on my back; which meant hanging everything from my body, my face included,’ she adds. ‘covering the face is a nod to us being engrossed in the device, strapped to digital and ignorant to what is actually going on around us. the function of cushions, mats and the wooden structure (when constructed in its entirety) is a mobile hug – more and more people are escaping the city to set up their off-grid reality, like a packhorse they take everything with them, intimacy included.’

‘the ad-libbed attitude of the sherpa is shepherded by the belief that feelings survivalism are equal. the kit of survival balanced stealthy on their back contains everything this sensitive forager requires for landing; including tools for affection that top-up trust.’

project info

artist: lucy mcrae
name: future survival kit
exhibition: states of extreme