There is now a competition for doing absolutely nothing!
A few weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon, about 70 people gathered at Ichon Hangang Park in Seoul, South Korea, doing….you guessed right……absolutely nothing. Not a smartphone in sight, no texting or taking selfies, and no one rushing to get anywhere.
The crowd was taking part in South Korea’s annual Space Out Competition, a contest to see who can stare off into space the longest without losing focus.
WoopsYang, the visual artist who created the event in 2014, said it’s designed to highlight how much people have been overworking their brains and how much they stand to gain by taking a break.
“I was suffering from burnout syndrome at the time, but would feel extremely anxious if I was sitting around doing nothing, not being productive in one way or another,” she told VICE. Eventually, she realized she wasn’t alone. “I thought to myself, We would all feel better about doing nothing if we did nothing together as a group.”
Since the first competition was held two years ago, it’s evolved into a full-on pageant with a panel of judges and a set of strict rules—no phones, no talking, no checking your watch, no dozing off.
WoopsYang said more than 2,000 people signed up for the 70 contestant slots this year, and she had to hold qualifying rounds to select the best candidates.
During the 90-minute-long event, contestants are banned from doing anything other than spacing out. If you fall asleep, start laughing, or use technology, you’re disqualified.
Contestants’ heart rates are checked every 15 minutes to ensure that they are in a state of chill; the person with the most stable heart rate wins.
There’s a live sportscaster who narrates the event to onlookers. If contestants feel discomfort—say, if someone gets thirsty or needs to use the bathroom—they can hold up one of several cards to make a request. – www.vice.com
