Dis-Armor, Krzysztof Wodiczko, 2000

Instrument designed and built in collaboration with members of the Interrogative Design Group, Center for Advanced Visual Studies, MIT: Adam Whiton, Sung Ho Kim, Jerzy Stypułkowski; Japanese team: Mari Ishiko with a group of school psychologists.

Dis-Armor is a psycho-cultural prosthetic device designed as a communications tool for school students. It was directly inspired by the artist’s meeting with alienated, sociopathic Japanese youngsters. The project’s title serves as a reference to the need for “disarming” – for young people encased in a carapace of silence to open up. Resembling a protective suit, the Dis-Armor combines modern technology with Japanese cultural traditions; its overall aesthetic and individual elements were inspired by antique samurai armor. The device features two mini cameras that film the eyes and send the image to two small-size screens at the user’s back. Young people who otherwise avoid direct contact with others can communicate by “looking and speaking with their backs.” Three versions of Dis-Armor were made: a blue one (the earliest); a gold one with an added camera to play back prerecorded statements, with sound-image synchronization, and the option to switch between playback and live broadcasting; and a third one, equipped with a back camera and a small LCD screen replacing the earlier rearview mirror.