Jonathan Shaw

Behave Mechanical: A Dialogue with Social Anxiety Ecologies, 2023

Behave Mechanical is a speculative installation exploring the deep-seated cultural and behavioural constructs that influence people’s mental models of social anxiety. It intertwines three unique “agents”: a human body, a robotic arm, and a desk lamp, conjointly observing, eliciting, interpreting, and performing certain characteristics of each other. Taking individuals in collectivistic cultures as target stakeholders, it prompts audience dialogue and reflections on the tension between personal orientations and societal expectations. At its core, the installation expounds the ethical dilemma of socially anxious peoples' roles within intricate cultural ecologies, responding to SDG Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being through a critical, socio-philosophical lens.

Jonathan Shaw is an interdisciplinary designer based in Sydney, Australia, whose works bring a multifaceted perspective to produce designs as exploratory as they are aesthetically and emotionally pleasing. Shaw's design practice encompasses interactive media art, speculative design and emotional design, through which he breaks boundaries toward intriguing intersections between humanity and sensory environments. His approach to design is characterized by challenging conventional thinking and self-imposed constraints, with the aspiration to designs that not just serve a function, but tell a story, stimulate perceptions, and foster meaningful engagements. Jonathan Shaw's interests also extend beyond design and technology, encompassing avenues such as education, creative writing, minority rights, and multiculturalism.