Joshua Jacob Pothen, Erinma Arki

"In a world where individual burdens often go unseen, The Weight We Share transforms the universal experience of carrying life’s weight into a collaborative and deeply symbolic journey. This interactive installation uses a cartoonist medium to explore the metaphorical concept that no one is meant to carry their burdens alone. Playing on the idea that humans are built for collaboration and mutual support. At the center of the installation is Bob, a distressed figure embodying the everyman. He struggles to move a massive set of boxes, symbolizing the overwhelming weight of personal, professional, and societal responsibilities. Initially, his journey is solitary, emphasizing the isolating nature of these challenges. Through a first-person camera perspective, viewers experience Bobs’ strain and determination, mirroring their own battles with life’s pressures. As people walk up to Bob and step in to assist the scene changes, transforming the act of carrying into a shared endeavour. The heavy boxes, once immovable, begins to shift with ease, illustrating how shared effort lightens even the heaviest of loads. This process symbolizes the shift from isolation to interconnectedness, reflecting the human need for community and collective growth. The project serves as a metaphor for human connection: each piece, no matter how small, is vital. Only through connection do we build structures of strength, resilience, and beauty. Through this installation, audiences are invited to reflect on the weight they carry and the power of sharing that burden. The Weight We Share asks a fundamental question: What could we achieve if we embraced our interdependence and built something greater—together?"