The ‘do-nothing’ competition also goes by the name ‘International Space Out Competition’ is a unique competition organized by one of the most workaholic countries on the planet, South Korea.
Seoul: As they say doing nothing is the most unproductive way to waste time ut doing nothing has been recognised as an art that can be done by selective ones only. The art of doing nothing had taken a form of competition, known as the ‘Space-Out competition’.
Interestingly the competition is held by the busy bees of the planet, South Korea. The country is known for its rigorous education system, relentless work ethics and obsession over productivity. The unique competition stands ironical to the nature of the country itself.
The one-of-a-kind competition defies all the norms of hustle and bustle in modern busy life and promotes the art of doing nothing, embracing the stillness of the fast paced time.
The image of people gathered in an area to do absolutely nothing and just relax is not only a spectacle but glorifies the necessity of stillness and relaxation. The challenge not only highlights the beauty of stillness but is also a test of physical endurance and provides a break from relentless race of productivity
The rules are quite simple; just do absolutely nothing. In the given time frame of 90 minutes just zone-out while avoiding to fall asleep as sleep can slip you into disqualification. People find their hidden talent of zoning out without falling asleep which is shocking to themselves as well.
The conditions are simple, the contestant have to do nothing for merely 90 minutes without talking, looking at phone, moving around the place and have to sit still emotionless. In the process they have to fight back with sleepiness and get zoned out at the same time. The simplest goals can be the hardest to achieve, confesses the contestants. It sounds absurd and funny to sit idly without doing anything or without talking but it is a case easier said than done. They are under continuous surveillance of the onlookers who later selects the top ten contestants. Their heart rates are monitored regularly, the person with the most stable heart-rate among the top ten will win the trophy.
Kwon So-a, a freelance announcer emphasized the significance of taking a break in a competitive society after winning the competition earlier this year. Describing the norm followed in Korea she added, ‘the society in Korea is really competitive and people think of themselves lagging behind if they don’t do anything’. She believes everyone have their own pace of working and they should follow that and its okay to slow down sometimes if needed.
Highlighting the benefits of doing nothing, kwon advocates ‘your body can relax and work efficiently only if your mind is relaxed’.
Two-time Olympics medalist skater Kwak Yoon-gy was among the participants of this year’s competition and secured third position. He revealed that he tried out for the Olympics five times, fortunately won two medals but never got to take a proper rest in his 30 years of training. He said, ‘I heard about this place, people come here and do nothing but relax during that whole time at the very least’, ‘Wow i just needed this’ added further.
10 years ago, the competition was initiated by Woopsyang, a visual artist. She wonders why she was anxious of doing nothing as she recalls the past. After realizing that her anxiety increased as she compared herself to others and added “other people might also want to zone out just like me”, she added. “This competition remarks the need of zoning out instead of thinking it as a waste of time” she explained after witnessing the success of the competition. It has spread to the cities like Beijing, Rotterdam and Tokyo breaking the taboo of sitting idly.
