No More Hands Needed While Driving!, 2023
Video with sound, 30 seconds
As an artist and car enthusiast, I am acutely aware of the gender disparities that persist in car culture, particularly the lack of representation for women. Despite the increasing number of female drivers and license holders, the car society remains predominantly male-dominated, as the media often focuses on male enthusiasts, overshadowing female contributions. Being a young Asian female driver, I have personally faced stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding women and Asians and their driving abilities.
My experiences driving a manual transmission car have been met with strange perceptions on the road, fueled by society's stereotypes that women and Asian people lack driving skills. The JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) car culture, prominent in North America, has long been dominated by men, leading to the underrepresentation of female enthusiasts despite their increasing numbers. Similarly, Asian drivers have been burdened with stereotypes that question their driving capabilities. As a young Asian female, I have experienced scrutiny and judgment while driving my manual transmission car, inspiring me to use my art to challenge these biases and promote a more inclusive and diverse car culture.
In my interdisciplinary art project, "No More Hands Needed While Driving!," I explore the evolving relationship between humans and technology in the post-digital world, focusing on the gear-shifting mechanism in cars. This mechanism has shifted from manual to automatic and from physical levers to digital interfaces. Through a series of images sourced from car-selling sites and driving tutorial clips, I trace the evolution of the gear-shifting mechanism, symbolizing the growing divide between humans and the technology they interact with, and the diminishing sense of control over this technology.
To emphasize the theme of engaging and controlling technology actively, I chose to manually collage the images, adding an intimate and tactile dimension to the artwork. The project also incorporates an audio component, featuring sound clips representing the manual, auto, and electronic stages of the gear-shifting process, highlighting the shift from human-driven to machine-driven and the increasingly digital nature of our world.
The title, "No More Hands Needed While Driving!," alludes to a potential future where human control in driving becomes obsolete as machines take over. I envision a future where the stereotypes surrounding women and Asian people and their driving abilities are dismantled. The project urges viewers to reflect on their relationship with technology and daily objects, encouraging contemplation about maintaining agency and control in an increasingly digital world.
By exploring the intersection of car culture, technology, gender representation, and cultural stereotypes, "No More Hands Needed While Driving!" aims to initiate meaningful conversations and contribute to a more inclusive and thoughtful society. Through art, I advocate for greater diversity and representation in the automotive world, inspiring viewers to challenge stereotypes and embrace a more inclusive and empathetic future for all. Moreover, given that manual transmissions are traditionally lower cost and considering the lower average income in Vancouver Downtown Eastside, I hope my artwork can resonate with the community, bridging the gap between car culture and the diverse cultural landscape of the area.