The Spheres
The Spheres is an augmented reality poster that critiques the disparities in the treatment of Amazon employees on the corporate level versus the fulfillment level. This critique stems from the Amazon biospheres, which are to be used as an environment for their corporate employees to enjoy a relaxing, nature-like environment near their headquarters in downtown Seattle during the workday.
The spheres are Amazon’s overtly publicized way of appearing like they are a company that cares about their employees. What Amazon doesn’t want the public to see is how their other employees are treated, particularly those who work in their warehouses. Formally, the poster is a simple, corporate representation of how Amazon presents themselves and the biosphere to the public. This all changes if the viewer decides to participate by scanning the poster to make a transaction of sorts, similar to how they would with any typical Amazon purchase. As the seemingly minimalist poster animates, it breaks down to reveal the true unethical and environmentally harmful practices of a powerful corporate entity like Amazon.
The spheres are Amazon’s overtly publicized way of appearing like they are a company that cares about their employees. What Amazon doesn’t want the public to see is how their other employees are treated, particularly those who work in their warehouses. Formally, the poster is a simple, corporate representation of how Amazon presents themselves and the biosphere to the public. This all changes if the viewer decides to participate by scanning the poster to make a transaction of sorts, similar to how they would with any typical Amazon purchase. As the seemingly minimalist poster animates, it breaks down to reveal the true unethical and environmentally harmful practices of a powerful corporate entity like Amazon.
