Normality is a deeply introspective, interactive installation that seeks to humanise and de-stigmatise the complex reality of addiction.

The Project

Designed to confront bias and spark empathy, the project explores a wide spectrum of addictions, both substance-based and behavioural, through the lens of shared human experience.

Rather than isolating addiction as something that happens to “others,” Normality reveals its universal roots: the compulsion to soothe pain, manage trauma, or escape emotional discomfort. The project challenges long-held stereotypes by presenting addiction not as a failure of character, but as a deeply biopsychosocial response to suffering, one that can affect anyone.

At the heart of the installation is an interactive touchscreen application featuring anonymised personal narratives. Viewers are invited to engage with these stories by matching them to specific addictions, an intentional design choice that often disrupts assumptions and reveals the surprising diversity of addictive behaviours. Whether it's social media, shopping, alcohol, or gambling, the stories remind us that addiction wears many faces and all deserve compassion.

The digital interaction is supported by a haunting original soundtrack and video that immerses the audience in the emotional landscape of addiction, simulating the disorientation, repetition, and isolation that many addicts experience. The final component of the installation is a quiet reflective space where visitors are encouraged to write or share their own perceived addictions, creating a loop of empathy, vulnerability, and awareness.

Normality merges storytelling, sound design, and interactive technology to offer a safe but confronting experience, one that invites self-reflection while shifting the cultural narrative around addiction.