Adaptive social behaviour is considered the backbone of the evolution of modern human society. We often consider socialization as essential to human life, with real case studies in instances of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic showing increased rates of anxiety and psychological distress due to social isolation. However, humans have a history of finding fascination in apocalyptic situations. Trends in dystopian literature, as well as the rising popularity of apocalyptic media such as Fallout and The Last of Us, show that stories about the end of the world are a comforting presence to society. When faced with the possibility of extinction, we often find solace in material objects to give us a sense of self. Examples range from real cases of doomsday preppers with hoards of supplies to the real-time economic impact of panic buying during the pandemic. The range of these actions shows how deeply the relationship between a sense of relief and material ownership is rooted.
Jason Phu explores the idea of material comfort in isolating environments through his comedic exploration of an alternate apocalyptic reality. In the installation, everyone is dead, except for me. everything is futile, and i am tired. i wait in my little house, for the winter to take me (2022) is a brilliant exploration of the human psyche during trying times. Phu constructs his take on the reality of life in the apocalypse and the effects of isolation, particularly through details of the work. His installation and its relative theme of social isolation relate to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Good Health and Wellbeing.
The Macfarlane Fund is a philanthropic fund established by the Australian Macfarlane family to honour the life of respected Melbourne businessman Don Macfarlane. Through a partnership with the Australian Centre for Contemporary Arts, the Macfarlane Fund has established a program that supports the exhibition of works by Australian artists. This program works biennially to promote the voices of mid-career artists through creating new work to be shown in the gallery. Phu’s installation was featured in the 2022 exhibition: Like a Wheel That Turns. The theme of the exhibition reflects the ability of the arts to speak across generations through different media and how paintings can “extend beyond the specificities of its medium.”
Many of the works featured in the exhibit explore ideologies of human relations and society, but Phu’s work, in particular, thrusts the audience into a semi-interactive environment that lets them view the impact of isolation on the subject within his ‘painting’. everyone is dead, except for me… (2022) in particular thrusts the audience into a live viewing of someone’s wait for their eventual demise, which is incredibly impactful in its message.
Phu’s body of work has elements of storytelling, interlaced with humour and poetry drawn from Asian cultural influences. In many of his other works, such as give me 30 years to learn some stuff (2019), Phu expresses a comedic interpretation of the anxieties of aging, expressing through lines of short-form poetic text and illustrative representation of the self. everyone is dead, except for me… (2022) brings the audience into a candid view of the aftermath of isolation. When we consume doomsday media, we rarely explore the reality of isolation. In films like 2012 (2009), characters are faced with the end of the world head-on. The aftermath is not explored further as the characters try their best to survive the apocalypse. Other movies within the genre, such as Zombieland (2009), explore life after an outbreak of a zombie apocalypse but focus on the adventure aspect of finding survivors and safety. As our doomsday media succeeds in creating imagery of survival, it often lacks the showcase of the grounded reality of how isolating it can be to survive those situations.
Phu discusses the idea of existentialism within the piece in an interview with Arts Help. As the title of the piece, everyone is dead, except for Me… (2022) evokes a sense of existential dread; Phu reflects on the idea of expecting impending doom and what it does to people. Phu explains that it’s about “Succumbing to the idea that everyone is gone and you’re the last one left,” and “Giving up in a good or bad way, just in a ‘this is a natural thing.’” It is very human to think:
“Everyone is gone and I am the only one left, why should I survive?”
As we surround ourselves with communities and society, loneliness tends to take a toll on us. However, it is also very human to consider that if you are the only one left, then you should survive while surrounding yourself with the things that you love to remind yourself that life is worth living. Both concepts can be true at the same time, and this message is ever-present in Phu’s installation work. Giving up does not make you less of a person, but you are also allowed to try your best while surrounding yourself with the things and/or people you love.
Phu also mentions that the doomsday aspect of the work is up to the audience’s interpretation. Audiences are encouraged to question whether the man is isolating because he is truly the only one left on earth or whether he is struggling with his mental health, which has led him to live in a state of isolation. The work compels the audience to think through tongue-in-cheek references such as "Winter is Coming," a nod to Game of Thrones (2011), as well as winter as a metaphor for age. Phu reflects on how we treat older people in different cultures, making reference in the interview to horror stories about elder care in Australia. As this older man sits, waiting for his demise, audiences can empathize with what he may have had to go through to surround himself with things that remind him of the good times.
Every object relates to the different relationships the character has with the people around him, as well as the relationship he has with himself. In an interview with Arts Help, Phu elaborated on his choices of each object, as well as the idea of time and space within the work. He reflected on the idea of existentialism within the piece, using objects as a method to “meld different periods of time.” Despite the sentimentality of the objects gathered in the man’s state of isolation, the objects are just objects. Phu states in the interview that “It’s nice to have memories, but also my dad’s still alive. Instead of looking at this game we used to play, I could go have a meal with him. Instead of looking at all these gifts that my friends had given me, I could go have lunch with my friends.... So, it is a bit about that. Social isolation and the importance we place on objects.”
Humans have always relied on material objects for comfort. Studies show that although materialists are not the happiest people, they find that possession of material objects is the key to happiness. Toys such as stuffed animals are often used by kids into adulthood as objects of comfort, with studies showing that college students are more comfortable in group therapy settings when holding a stuffed animal. In extreme cases, humans like to hoard objects as a trauma response. Research shows that adults who develop hoarding tendencies often identify a traumatic event preceding the worsening of their symptoms. Isolation itself can be traumatic to people, as social isolation can lead to elevated levels of cortisol. Real evidence of the effects of prolonged social isolation is currently most evident in the cultural syndrome of Hikikomori in Japan, as 1-2% of the population suffers from the condition.
Phu’s piece pushes the audience to witness a story about the life of a man isolated from society in an apocalyptic world. This is an honest depiction of finding comfort in a dark situation, because even when everyone might be dead, it doesn’t mean we have to be.
If you are struggling with your mental health, please contact your local healthcare provider for further mental health support. You can also call or text crisis support hotlines such as
Suicide prevention
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 800-273-8255 or chat with Lifeline
988: Call 988 in the U.S. if you're thinking about suicide
Crisis support
Disaster Distress Helpline: Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746
Crisis Textline: Text TALK to 741741
Or find a local Hotline/Helpline via https://www.helpguide.org/find-help or https://findahelpline.com