Deep Sea Mining Claw Machine is an interactive art installation that invites participants to engage in a scaled-down simulation of a deep sea mining expedition through the familiar format of an arcade claw machine. Traditionally filled with plush toys, candy, or trinkets, this version features squishy toys shaped and painted like polymetallic nodules — mineral deposits currently targeted by the controversial practice of deep sea mining.

The claw machine’s design draws on a layered history. Originating in the United States in the 1890s, early versions were modeled after excavation equipment used in projects like the Panama Canal, a potent symbol of industrial ambition and extractivist ideology. This historical context adds a critical lens to the artwork, especially considering ongoing political tensions and territorial control, such as U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about reclaiming the Panama Canal.

Claw machines are considered a game of chance, though some states and countries that regulate gambling allow claw machines and similar arcade games, while some countries like Brunei outlaw these machines. This ambiguity mirrors the complex ethical terrain of deep sea mining, which raises urgent questions about regulation, ownership, and environmental responsibility.

The squishy nodules inside the machine are soft and pliable, unlike the real ones, which are dense, metal-rich rocks found on the ocean floor. The actual nodules contain key minerals used in technologies like electric vehicles, clean energy systems, and rechargeable batteries. By transforming them into playful, tactile objects, the installation invites reflection on how green technologies might replicate the same extractive behaviors they claim to solve. Is deep sea mining a necessary step toward a sustainable future, or simply another form of consumption rebranded as progress? For developing countries like the Cook Islands seeking to enrich their economies, who gets to decide that they can?

The interaction unfolds as follows: participants insert a token and operate the claw, guided by a soundscape inspired by the mechanical ambience of deep sea expeditions. If successful, they retrieve a squishy nodule — an opportunity not only to play, but also to start a conversation. Each "prize" becomes a catalyst for dialogue between participants about their thoughts on ocean mining, environmental trade-offs, and the hidden costs of technological advancement.

By blending nostalgia, gameplay, and critical inquiry, Deep Sea Mining Claw Machine turns an everyday arcade experience into a space for collective questioning and imaginative futures.