ULTIMATE HAPPINESS

ULTIMATE HAPPINESS

Fast-food is our shortcut to Utopia.

finished date : 2020 May material : Paper, polypropylene, and silicone

The UH collection by Rio Chen is under the Whatnot Studio 2020 by School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

photo credit : Jonathan Allen

dimensions : Fries Pack 108 x 63 mm / Nugget Pack 120 x 82 x 25 mm / Veggie Pack 171 x 120 x 31 mm

In this fast-paced era, people embrace convenience and consume a massive amount of food in spite of the environmental and health consequences. The UH collection materializes the cheap, happy spirit of fast food culture and also the waste, junk, and unhealthy nature of our beloved comfort food. Silicone foods, pre-dipped single servings, and over-packaging comprise the objects in the UH collection and foreground the sentiment that utopia is embedded in deepfried culture.

UH… is Ultimate Happiness.

▪ from left to right, Nugget pack, Fries pack, Veggie pack (with a slice of cheese, tomato, and lettuce).

The decision of making a single package of nuggets, fries, and vegetables is to maximize the image of uncommon sense. The possibility of lower prices, or to highlight the healthy part of fast-food options. The single package stands out like a unique container for unique content. "This is the ultimate nugget that I ever need!" Or is it? Emphasizing the affordable and healthy diet image that is oddly positioned within the industry right now.

Overpackaging is another issue we have been dealing with for years. Under those attractive single packaging is all about waste. Plastic waste to be specific. This is also the reason I chose silicone to cast these fast-foods.

The more money you make, the more fast-food you eat. *1

▪ this page, from up to down, process of packaging work, casting silicone food models, and food models color testing.

Is junk food the only indulgence people can afford?

According to the interview by Priya Fielding-Singh *2 , both wealthy and poor kids asked for junk food, but their parents responded differently.

For parents raising their kids in poverty, having to say “no” was a part of daily life. Their financial circumstances forced them to deny their children’s requests — for a new pair of Nikes, say, or a trip to Disneyland — all the time. This wasn’t tough for the kids alone; it also left the poor parents feeling guilty and inadequate. Next to all the things poor parents truly couldn’t afford, junk food was something they could often say “yes” to. There are a lot of things that bring joy to the kids, maybe junk food is the most affordable and approachable one. When we think of fast-food, we mostly connected joy with the image of convenience and cheap. This is the Ultimate Happiness.

▪ this page, process of putting dipping sauce on nugget.