Sijia Chen

Some Devils Call It Earth

Contemporary Art Practice - MA

School of Art

sijiachen0621@gmail.com

Follow:

A tiered praxinoscope-inspired sculptural installation stands at the center of a dark exhibition space, viewed through an open doorway. The rotating tower features layers of silhouetted devil figures engaged in labor, echoing themes of capitalist hierarchy. On the black walls behind, white text reads “Some Devils” in repeated lines, reinforcing the work’s title and critical message.

The plinth reads: “And some devils GRIND,” inviting viewers to interact by turning the crank attached to the bottom layer.

Project description

Some Devils Call It Earth

July, 2025

90×70×110cm

Wood, aluminium alloy turntable bearing, mirror sheets, PLA, PETG, acrylic

This project is an interactive art piece that combines mechanical devices with social metaphors. It is based on the 19th-century animation device "Zoetrope". By manually rotating the multi-layered discs, the static devil silhouettes create the visual illusion of continuous animation. The audience's intervention is not only to drive the device but also symbolizes their participation in the operation of a "system".

The installation as a whole takes on a tower-like, tiered structure, drawing inspiration from the 1911 satirical cartoon "The Capitalist System Pyramid" and integrating the Chinese saying "Money can make the devil grind". The tower is divided into four layers, each layer simulating different class roles in capitalist society from bottom to top - the bottom layer is the constantly working ghosts; the middle layer is the officials in charge of execution and management; the top layer is the leaders who watch and control. The higher the layer, the more it tends to be a symbol of capital and power. The ghosts on each layer have different movements, and these movements are cyclical and repetitive, forming an endless labor.

In addition, all the characters are presented as black silhouettes, deliberately omitting facial and individual details, making them become dehumanized functional positions in the institutional machine. It not only enhance the dramatic tension of the work but also transform "hell" from a mere religious concept into a metaphorical space of the real society.

The audience are not only observers but also the drivers of the installation. They have to push the bottom disk by hand for the work to "come to life". "The Hell Mill Tower" is both a sculpture full of childlike fun and humor and a satirical machine about the modern labor condition, social structure and institutional cycle. It invites the audience to experience with their bodies and reveal with their eyes, and perceive a "hell on earth" under the operation of capital power in the rotation.

Interactive

A wooden handle is fixed to the bottom tier of the sculpture, inviting visitors to physically engage with the work. When turned, the entire multi-tiered praxinoscope begins to spin, bringing the silhouetted devil figures into motion—each repeating a looped gesture reflective of their assigned social class. This kinetic activation transforms the viewer from passive observer to implicated participant, as they “grind” the system into motion. The inscription on the base reads: “And some devils GRIND.”, emphasizing the cyclical burden of labor and the viewer’s role within it.

The picture of people interacting with devices.

Wall Text

On the black wall behind the installation, a series of white phrases frame the conceptual tiers of the artwork. Each begins with the same refrain: "Some devils...", followed by a verb that reflects the social function represented on each level of the zoetrope:

Some devils rule.

Some devils feast.

Some devils obey.

Some devils work.

These lines mirror the layered structure of the rotating sculpture, offering a succinct summary of the capitalist hierarchy the piece critiques. The repeated sentence structure reads like a chant or a commandment, adding a sense of rhythm and visual weight. And this can also provide a starting point for the audience to interpret this art work.

Characters‘ Business Cards

To the left of the text, a vertical line of character cards is displayed in transparent holders. Each card represents one tier’s devil archetype in cartoonish silhouette form. People are invited to take these cards—souvenirs that parody business cards or identity badges.

While playful in form, these cards serve as satirical tokens of assigned roles within a system—signifiers of power, compliance, and labor. By picking up a card, the viewer is invited to consider their own place within the hierarchy and reflect on what kind of devil they might be.