I strapped five fully charged power banks to my body with Velcro strips. Each was fitted with a different type of charging cable, and on each I stuck a label that read: “Free charging.”

I stood on a concrete bollard near Zhongshan MRT Exit 1 for about six traffic light cycles. At last, an elderly man pushing his wheelchair forward with his bare feet looked up and called out repeatedly: “Why are you standing here like you’re being punished? Why?”

Soon after, a man with reddish-brown hair met my eyes as he passed. A few seconds later, he turned back, raised his phone, and asked if he could take a picture. He also became the first to plug in and charge. We spoke in English. He asked if I was an artist. I said, “Everyone is.” His name was Daniel. He lives in Taiwan and makes audio art. I told him, “In life, I often play the role of someone who gives others energy for free.” He asked, “But what if you run out of power?” I smiled and said, “Then I go home and recharge myself.”

Later, on the MRT, I stood holding a strap. A blond man with blue-green eyes studied me for a while, then pointed and asked, “Can I?” When I nodded, he plugged in to charge his phone. Like others, he asked why I was doing this. I said, “Because people are too boring.” He laughed and said, “That’s a good reason!”

Two stops later, a long-haired man boarded and sat in a priority seat. With his left hand he pulled down his mask, and with his right index finger he traced a line in the air—from me, across a light blue seat, to the cable connected to Ben’s phone. Smiling, he said, “So unique.” Ben looked up and added, “So convenient.”

Before wrapping up around midnight, two more groups of curious people came to talk. I lost count of how many times I answered the question “Why?”. But I think I remembered to say goodnight to each of them.

Special thanks to my friends for providing equipment, and to Charlotte for photography.