Final Project

Final Project

Extra Credit Event2: Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem

Located in the Fowler Museum, the exhibition of "Making Strange" is created by contemporary artist Vivan Sundaram. Made from a variety of recycled materials and medical supplies such as foil pill wrappings, surgical masks, and foam cups, Gagawaka are clothes that shows a “playful, yet subversive relationship to fashion, haute couture, the runway, and the brand.” Consisting of dummies, anatomical models, and wooden props, Postmortem displays the human body in a very special form.

Me at "Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem"

Attempting to offer an unique experience to its views, the exhibition utilizes a variety of mediums. The artist uses spotlight that only focuses on the exhibits itself to emphasize the texture of the design. There is also music playing in the background, creating a sense of mystery. Offering many insights into the art pieces, a video of Sundaram talking about her work is also played in the exhibition room. 

My favorite piece in the exhibition is the “Angel Wing” which is made from white plastic tubes. The garment has a form of T-shirt and skirt while it is also used to represent the hair of the model. The human body represented by the cloth and the cloth itself seem to be separate, but they can also be viewed as an entity. Another piece I like is made of bath sponges. Although the piece is made from objects that we use everyday, the abundant colors and creative design surprise me with its beauty. Trying to connect "beauty and illness, pleasure and pain, life and death," the artist offers a sense of contradiction in her art works. 

Angel Wing

Bath Sponges

I would definitely recommend the exhibition to my classmates. Offering another approach to look at daily recyclable objects, the artist creates a special form of garment. Using anatomical models and mannequins as well as other waste materials including x-ray-film and hospital bandages,  the exhibition integrates medicine, biology, technology, and art that we have learned in the lectures.