Lucy McRae’s new “Compression Carpet offers a full embrace for those who feel like they need a hug, a meditation on how technology can aid intimacy or support. The “body architect” recently showed the device at Festival of the Impossible in San Francisco. For some, the device may recall the hug machine created by Temple Grandin for stress relief and therapy. With her device, McCrae says, you “relinquish control to the hands of a stranger as your ‘servicer’ decides the firmness of your hug.”
The festival says that McRae “explores and responds to the concept of a touch-crisis world that has triggered a lonely disconnection with ourselves.” Other projects by the artist include a Biometric Mirror anda Compression Cradle, seen below. Her practice spans installation art, photography, film, AI, edible technology, and more.
Find more on her site.
The remixed and altered porcelain sculptures of ceramicist Penny Byrne often have a political edge. Byrne's methods recall the methods of Barnaby Barford and the late Click Mort. She uses enamel paints, epoxy resin, putty, and other materials to evolve these found statues.
The 
While some sculptors sift through piles of objects in antique stores for materials, British artist