Luck Upon a Lock - The Inspiration

Had you asked me one month ago what’s my idea to inspire the youth of today - my mind would be blank, nothing, nada, zero.  

But when Mr Lam gives a speech about ‘Nu Dir Nu Fer’, slaps a paper on the table and says you have 4 hours to give him something, your creative juices have no option but to forcibly start flowing. As time went by, panic level quickly rose while the colour slowly drained from my face, but thankfully an idea popped up - Locks!  

I've always loved the concept of interactive arts as an art piece is never truly complete instead it relies on the participation of the public. I wanted flexibility where each and every person had a chance to add their own personal touch but also permanence hence an interactive lock structure.  



 

Now that I had a concept, it was time to turn to Google. Turns out that the most common lock structures are Lock Bridges. However, those were out of the question; they are way too dangerous and cause structural damage, so I decided on an independent lock structure with its own support frame that could be placed anywhere. 
 
The idea here is that you place a lock onto the structure with a goal in mind and throw away the keys signifying your commitment. This allows commitment which is normally, neither visible nor tangible, to manifest in a physical form. As for the locks they will represent your goal– for example, a dream you always wished to pursue, an achievement you will work towards or your everlasting romance. It can be anything you desire; there is no limit and the possibilities are truly endless. 

And finally just when I thought I was done, I came to the hardest part of this entire project: naming the structure! After whole week of intense thinking, several rejections from my sister and friends and a whole elimination process, I finally settled on Luck Upon a Lock. As essentially one secures a lock onto the structure with the hopes, they will be lucky and successful with their goal. 

The reason I personally want to create this structure is for it to act as a bridge between simply wishing for something to actually working towards it. I want this project of mine to extend to others the opportunity to grasp onto the concept of ‘Nu Dir Nu Fer’ - the action of securing a lock acting as the link between Nu Dir (saying) and Nu Fer (doing). 

-Aisha Y. Hosany 

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