Greifen (Chupetes), is one in a series of works, based on my 2019 research into luxury that share the overarching title "Greifen." This word, which means "to grasp or to understand something through touch" comes from an interview I did with someone in Zurich who discussed the luxury of working with his hands after many years of working only digitally. The piece also responds to many people I spoke with while doing this research who described their mobile phones as luxuries in various ways.

"Chupete" is the Spanish word for a baby pacifier. I fabricated this piece in Bilbao, so wanted to give it a name people would understand there, but it also explains the piece quickly to a certain degree once you know what the word means.

Greifen (Chupetes) is a collection of objects similar in shape and size to a mobile phone. The objects are made of handwrought, polished steel, and rest on a custom, welded steel stand. They are luxurious to look at, and just as luxurious to hold and touch.

Greifen (Chupetes) is a sculpture, but also an interactive/engagement piece. It is an option for SHIMMER eventgoers to leave their mobile phones and take one of the chupetes instead while they are at SHIMMER (or for longer if they would like to make a custom arrangement through the BCA and the artist—perhaps for a premium.)