Is it better yet?
In 2014, as part of the artist group jaca joca, Carsel presented an installation at the architecture festival FESTA. This installation consisted of a gathering space centered around nine slip-cast, orb-shaped time capsules. Visitors to the space were invited to write a letter to their future selves and post it in a time capsule for burial.
Is it better yet? was inspired by the post-earthquake state of Christchurch, in which daily life seemed to change very quickly. This act of writing served as a moment for visitors to stop, reflect, and record that exact moment in time for them. The following year, jaca joca returned to Christchurch as part of The Social International Residency, during which time the group exhumed the time capsules, searched for the notes’ owners, and created a zine based on the collected texts found inside.
Exhibition view: Is it better yet?, CityUps, Christchurch (2014). 
Exhibition view: Is it better yet?, CityUps, Christchurch (2014).
Exhibition view: Is it better yet?, CityUps, Christchurch (2014).
Residency poster (2015).
Residency van (2015).
Opening a time capsule (2015).
Reusing time capsules as planters (2015).
Dug-up time capsules (2015).