Jacob’s Wall is a kinetic artwork using mechanical devices and analogue electronics. The craftwork has been maintained by the artist since 2018, accumulating scuffs and marks, displaying small but unique signs of damage: a record of its life, its moments of failure, and the artist’s repair methods. In contrast, digital media lacks these tangible signs of uniqueness, residing in an alternate space of predictability and quantization. Parker’s work critiques the reductive nature of binary computing, challenging the notion of digital superiority over analogue.

Emphasizing the importance of 'making by hand' and 'repairing by hand,' Parker contends that digital circuitry, unlike analogue counterparts, presents challenges in terms of repairability. The difficulty in manually repairing digital devices results in their wasteful end in landfills. Can we imagine a future where everyday objects endure for our entire lifetime and where the ability to care for and repair them is a craft that exists locally? Jacob’s Wall advocates for the vital role of hand skills in a sustainable future, fostering longevity in everyday objects.

Parker Heyl is a designer, roboticist, artist, and lecturer at The Bartlett School of Architecture in London. His digital/analogue hybrid works embrace the aura of physical objects and seek to emancipate digital data from the screen. Before joining the Interactive Architecture Lab as a tutor and researcher, Parker worked as a roboticist at the Harvard iLab, developing soft robotic technologies. He is trained as a carpenter and currently practices as a kinetic artist, designing installation work for galleries, including CentroCentro Madrid, M.A.D. Gallery Geneva, Frieze No.9 Cork St, and the Venice Biennale of Architecture. He has designed and constructed kinetic set designs to support live musical performances, including Crumb, Melissa Weikart, Floating Points, and Daphni at venues such as FOLD London, Brooklyn Steel, Total Refreshment Centre, and Coachella.