Audience

Wider public. Better fit for festival audience (they are more likely to re-return with donated garments, as they naturally re-return for other festival events nearby). 

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Space

The garments can be places outside on racks, can take up various amounts of space inside.

Very flexible for size in the space, flexible in installation arrangements, can accomodate whatever size needed. Can be scaled back,  sometimes put in a back room making space for other events if need be. May need back room temp storage for any clothing overflow. 

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An attended desk may be useful for people to donate or receive clothing. 

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Development

PREVIOUS

This work has been exhibited once before in 2019 as a set of garments the audience can take. 

 

COLLECTION SYSTEMS

Previously, far too many people in the audience wanted the items for the amount we could offer. For a following show, there needs to be both a number of garments with sewn tags ready for display prior to the exhibition start date, and then a system for exchange afterwards. I could sit at a desk and the audience could receive an item of clothing by donating clothing, so there is enough for others for the entire show. People could come to the desk, fill out a form, donate an item/s and then they could pick up an item from the rack in return. People can even donate on-hand items like sunglasses or socks in the moment to swap for a garment they want on display. Tokens could be given to those who donate, if they have additional tokens, they can choose to leave a number of tokens there for others or choose to keep some to give to their friends. The number of tokens they receive depends on the number of garments donated. This is a potential idea for new system to keep a flow of donated items and items on display and available for audiences but open to other possibilities, other methods to make this flow of donated and collected garments workable in the space. 

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Potential to expand beyond clothes to other donated items.  

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LIMITED EDITIONS

I want to make limited editions of these garments where I will (with private embroidery machine) embroider scenes from the life of the previous owner of the garment, in golden thread, into selected items of clothing. These items of clothing with embroidered images (as well as the sewn in omen tags) will be highlight items, kept to the end of the show on display and form a special collection within the wider collection. These limited items within the collection may be for sale, to cover costs of embroidery time, equipment and materials, the others garments are not for sale for any monetary value.  

 

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Benefits

- Media-enticing spectacle Turning gallery into a giant Thrift store (while still being a serious take home artwork) with omens and different kind of community connection. 

- Artists tend to purchase secondhand clothes, not just because of the cheapness of the clothes, but also because artists can hunt to find unique items, while donating to charity and recycling. Ticking many boxes. 

- Looking closely into the worn clothing is also looking closely into a slice of a collective personal identity. 

- Highly engaged work, direct interaction with the community. 

- Reaching out from the community back to the community with recycled gifts.

- Audiences can get free art and clothes from a place that represents high art. When audiences can take and wear something from such a place, this gives the gallery a chance to reconnect with the community in an intimate way. These clothes can be kept and worn for years and whenever worn, can serve as a reminder not only of the previous owner of the clothing but also this reconnection (reminded whenever the clothes are worn by the audience member) can help foster ongoing connection between the institution and this audience for the future.  

- It's a work that the "general public" may connect with physically and psychologically without an elaborate knowledge of art history. 

- It encourages recycling. 

- A rethinking and refeeling the transference in handling and wearing the belongings of others. How do we come closer to others through their clothes? For a year, someone and I wrote erotic letters to each-other before meeting in person, and before meeting, we decided to drop our used clothes at a secret spot. We then wore the clothes of each-other for days to get to know each-other before ever meeting in person. Not being able to see them, but wearing their sweaty clothes, it was one of the most intimate moments of my life. What does it mean to wear the shirt of your mother, what does it mean to wear the dress of a doctor down the road, how does it feel to sit in your grandmother's rocking chair? what is absorbed from the prior owner, when you take over their prior positions through their things? 

- Possibility for racks of clothes to be displayed outside the front of the space, further enticing viewers passing by and surprise them as they may first assume this may be a traditional items for sale (which they are not, or not quite). 

- 40-ish or so, limited editions with omen tags and embroidered gold thread scenes from the previous person's life on the clothing. 

- Install style and size of work (how many items on display and where) is highly flexible and can be expanded or reduced depending on other installations and events in the space. 

 

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Challenges

- System for donating and collecting to be negotiated. 

- Image rights on tag to be put into signed contract by participant. 

- Verification of authenticity - confirming this garment was previously owned by this person. Could be in the form signed by participants as they donate their garments. 

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Accomodations for Covid 

- A selection of these garments could be found and ordered online. 

- Well photographed online catalogue of garments (with portrait tags in view) and perhaps also some pages with images of the people who bought them (with consent). 

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