Doing absolutely nothing is now a competitive sport in South Korea
7The competition, which was held a few weeks ago at Ichon Hangang Park, Seoul, was created by visual artist WoopsYang back in 2014. She came up with it after experiencing work burnout and realised society also needed a break.
“I thought to myself, we would all feel better about doing nothing if we did nothing together as a group,” she toldVICE.
The 70 competitors (from a pool of 2000) aren’t allowed to use their gadgets, sleep, or even talk. Their heart rates are even checked for stability, with the most consistent hailed by the judges as the victor.
Heck, there are even sports commentators giving ‘exciting’ blow-by-blow updates.
With South Korea having one of the most stressed-out nations in the world, WoopsYang hopes this piece of performance art would encourage people to give their brains the occasional rest. She also plans to take the contest to other anxiety-filled cities like Beijing.
