The Perpetually Driven Body

Deleuze and Guattari once stated that “the machine is a desiring assemblage,” not only producing commodities but also shaping the unconscious of individuals. This work suggests the endless cycle of the desiring-machine, with ketchup serving as a fluid symbol of capitalism in motion. Its standardized production and global distribution dissolve regional cultures, unconsciously drawing individuals into the loop of production and consumption, ultimately alienating them as mere components of the system. The installation embodies the worker’s body—ceaselessly driving, consuming, and reproducing—mirroring the unconscious operation of labor alienation. As a globally recognized cultural symbol, ketchup erases regional distinctions, blurring the boundaries between labor and consumption and trapping individuals in an infinite cycle. Its fluid texture signifies the expansion of desire while hinting at how the unconscious is driven by industrial mechanisms—defying linguistic order yet perpetually functioning within the machinery of production.