The Bureaucratic Machine

The Bureaucratic Machine is simulating the functionality of bureaucracy in a cynical way. It is showing how an easy job could take forever once it is subject to bureaucracy – performing a funny but critical representation of bureaucracy at the same time.

The Bureaucratic Machine aims to move money from one point to another until getting rid of it. Next to the displacement movement and its slow mechanism, our machine is getting rid of the money as a symbol of our desire to get rid of capitalism and neoliberalism which are heavily relying on bureaucracy even if they pretend the opposite.

The central mechanism is a pulley. It moves a small and powerful computer fan from the left to the right. The fan is used to transport the paper from a stack on the left side on top of the hole on the right side. With the help of a specially wound rope, a hoist moves the fan, which is attached to the rope.
When the machine is turned on, the fan will suck up a banknote and as long as the fan is operating, the banknote is attached to the fan.
Switches mounted on both sides of the wooden frame regulate the activity and direction of this motor and also the activity of the fan.
Once the fan has transported a banknote upon the hole and was pulled completely away from the hole, a stone falls from above the hole and smashes the banknote through the hole. To go on, the process has to be started again.

The machine’s microcontroller is the BlinkSenseMove Board. All electronic components are connected to the board and are controlled and monitored by an on board program.