Among other things, the term stickiness is used to describe how well an advertising message succeeds in coming across (i.e. sticks), or how addictive a certain app is. June Yu (1991) wants to take stock of all the different meanings of the word sticky. The video A Sticky Encounter (2023), which she is showing at Prospects, is the first result of this endeavour. The video features an alien who is used to a sticky living environment. While visiting our atmosphere the being finds out that, surprisingly enough, for humans oxygen does not feel sticky. Regardless of its emotional condition, this has to be a sticky situation for the alien, a vibe or atmosphere that inevitable affects the emotions, but is difficult to pinpoint.
Earlier, Yu explored how she had ‘become stuck’ in the behaviours and habits shaping her own life. She tried to break free from her routine by all of a sudden deciding to get up at four thirty each morning. However, it proved difficult to stick to this plan. A Sticky Encounter found its origins during the pandemic, when the artist started baking her own bread. She soon found out that an important piece of advice was to not let the dough become too sticky by feeling how quickly you need to let go. The video is a metaphor to help her scrutinize her own practice and explore which behaviours are sticky enough to become habits.
Text: Jorne Vriens
Translation from Dutch to English: Marie Louise Schoondergang