Cian Furlong
he/him
Joy Hotel
My practice revolves around the problem of internet addiction and how that is perpetuated in today’s online world by the prioritisation of short-form media.
Through the mediums of video, stop motion, and puppetry, I use brightly coloured characters and props, to evoke a childlike feeling, critiquing how the internet panders to young children in an attempt to shorten their attention span and keep them online for longer.
Drawing on personal experience of growing up with constant access to the internet, Joy Hotel follows a character who finds himself in a hotel that provides constant amusement. Yet, all forms of entertainment in the hotel slowly become more palatable, pandering to the central character until it all feels the same. The work emerges as a multi-channel video piece, that acts as a surrealist representation of the stages one goes through when falling into dependence on internet content.
Joy Hotel, 1-5, NCAD Works 2025 exhibition, installation view
Joy Hotel, 3-5, NCAD Works 2025 exhibition, installation view
Joy Hotel 1-2, NCAD Works 2025 exhibition, installation view
Joy Hotel 5, installation view, close-up
Installation view
Installation view
Installation view
Still from Joy Hotel 1
Still from Joy Hotel 3
Still from Joy Hotel 4