After decades of decline, marriage is actually becoming more popular – at least in the UK. But like all venerable institutions, marriage has to move with the times.
For her latest project, Future Marriage designer Alice Wang has taken a close look at the idea of marriage, and asked how our needs and aspirations for wedded bliss may change in the future.
‘An average of three months is being added to life expectancy every year at the moment and experts estimate there could be a million centenarians across the world by 2030. Is our society ready for this? Are we still doing 4 years of college? Are we still going to retire at the same age? And are we still going to be married to one partner until death do us part?’ asks Wang.
The result of the project is a set of conceptual objects that Wang hopes will inspire debate about our attitudes to marriage in a rapidly changing world.
One of these is a ring which comes with a date which it set for the end of the marriage. Wang says: ‘In the future, rather than being married for life, can couples decide how long they want to be married for? Can the marriage certificate be more like a love contract where terms are pre-agreed? And instead of using negative phrases such as ‘divorced’ or ‘separated,’ can marriages end more peacefully and happily? If so, perhaps the number on the ring would be far more important than how big the diamond is!’
We’ve all seen couples who, even though they are physically together seem a million miles apart as they stare intently into the screens of their respective smartphones. Wang has addressed this too, designing a dining table (and other objects) which jams the signal from mobile phones, forcing couples to engage with each other.
After years of marriage, many people begin to long for something new and exciting – but does flirting (or even going further) online constitute cheating? Taking the idea that it’s easy to forget you’re attached when you enter the virtual world, Wang has designed a computer mouse with an integrate ring – if you start to get a bit amorous with someone who’s not your spouse, the rung gently heats up, reminding you – hopefully – where your loyalties lie.
Rather than creating viable products, Wang’s creative designs are often explore concepts and ideas about the way we live, such as her Pet Plus project which explores of commoditisation of human relationships with animals based on Maslow’s theory of human motivation (1954).
