The “PLA” series offers a profound critique of the intersection between modern technology and hyper-surveillance in the context of childhood. The title “PLA” is multilayered, referencing both the synthetic material used in 3D printing and the biological function of the placenta, a vital organ that sustains life. Within this series, the repeated image of a single infant evokes unsettling parallels to a terracotta army, where individuality is subsumed.
The series explores how the pursuit of maximum safety can transform care into a mechanistic process, where a child’s existence becomes strictly regulated and preordained. The car seats holding the infants symbolize the drive toward total protection, yet they simultaneously turn natural development into a programmed, constrained experience. This modern paradox underscores that in our quest to shield children from all possible dangers, we create environments where freedom and the potential for spontaneous growth are stifled.
“PLA” also raises questions about uniformity and the loss of uniqueness under conditions of hyper-surveillance. In a world where the elimination of risk becomes paramount, individuality may be sacrificed in the name of safety. Here, each infant becomes a symbol of a child stripped of its “self” in an environment where its life is controlled down to the smallest detail.
The series compels reflection on how far we are willing to go in the name of safety, and what we lose when care turns into mechanistic control. In a world where even care can become a form of suppression, “PLA” serves as a reminder of the need to maintain a delicate balance between protection and freedom, between safety and the potential for authentic development.